Study of Neuronal Properties, Synaptic Plasticity and Network Interactions Using a Computer Reconstituted Neuronal Network Derived from Fundamental Biophysical Principles.

摘要

The neural simulator program MacNeuron is currently implemented on the Macintosh IIci computer with executable versions using either the Motorola 68020 or 68000 processor and with or without the Motorola 68881 math co-processor. A preliminary version of the program showing some features of the user-interface compiled with the 68020/68881 options is included with the progress report. A preliminary user manual is also included which describes the execution environment of the program. Currently, the program consists of more than 15,000 lines of Pascal code, and the program is still in its development and testing stages where more codes will be generated and modified. The program is written in Object Pascal using the THINK Pascal compiler incorporating the class-structure of the THINK Class library for building the neuron-class structure. Since substantial efforts have been put into designing a generalized generic neuronal simulator for realistic neuron simulation, it becomes more apparent that the same simulation program can encapsulate the similar structure of an integrate-and-fire reduced model of the MacNerveNet into one single hybrid model program as envisioned in the original grant proposal is taken into account in the design of the MacNeuron program. Independent efforts to develop the MacNerveNet program has been re-directed to incorporate the program into MacNeuron to maximize the program development results.