Mathematical Biology & Bioinformatics | Volume 7 Issue 2 Year 2012

A review of computational models of neuronal cultures in vitro

Anokhin K.V., Burtsev M.S., Ilyin V.A., Kiselev I.I., Kukin K.A., Lakhman K.V., Paraskevov A.V., Rybka R.B., Sboev A.G., Tverdokhlebov N.V.

National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, 123182, Russia

Abstract. One of the widely used experimental models in modern neuroscience is neuronal cultures in vitro. Neural networks cultured on multielectrode arrays allow to record large amount of information about the dynamics of neuronal activity, as well as to activate the cells by electrical stimulation. It makes the neuronal cultures a convenient tool for verification of theoretical models of neural networks. The main approaches to computer modeling of the dynamics of activity in the neuron cultures are considered in this review .

Key words: neuron, neuronal culture, synaptic plasticity, multielectrode array, spiking dynamics of neural networks.