CNV: Lecture slides and notes

Lecture slides are posted here as the course progresses, along with notes on each lecture. For topics for which the links don't yet work, you can get a copy of last year's notes at the 2011-2012 site. Anything posted about a lecture that has not yet happened is (of course) a projection that may not turn out to be accurate.

Note that some slides are password protected because they contain copyrighted figures. These should be readable from any University of Edinburgh machine. To read them from an external machine such as a home system, the username and password can be found in /group/teaching/cnv/README on a UE Informatics DICE machine.

14 Jan 2013: Introduction (4up version)

Handing out introductory slides and giving overview of course, focusing on why vision is an important topic, why computational modeling can be useful, and what makes a particular type of computational model appropriate for a given use.

Required reading for next class: Chapter 1 of the CMVC textbook, plus sections 2-4 of Report of the 1st INCF Workshop on Large-scale Modeling of the Nervous System. Read the /group/teaching/cnv/README file mentioned above for information about obtaining the CMVC book.

17 Jan 2013: Vision background (4up version)

Beginning review of biological data about the visual system. Covering image formation and the gross anatomy of the visual system.

Chapter 2 of the textbook is assigned as background reading.

As we work through this background material, you may find that this article is helpful for explaining any topic that I cover too quickly or that you want to follow up on:

Crick, F. and Asanuma, C. (1986) Certain aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the cerebral cortex. In J. L. McClelland and D. E. Rumelhart (eds.), Parallel Distributed Processing: Explorations in the Microstructure of Cognition, vol. II, chapter 20, pp. 333-371. MIT Press.

The Crick article is quite old, but it is useful because it covers most of the basic concepts in neuroscience from a modelling perspective, and goes into a lot more detail about molecular, cellular, and anatomical concepts than we will discuss in this course. The material in the Crick article is not examinable, but may be helpful for anyone who does not have a prior background in this area. There are also a lot of other basic introductions to neuroscience available; I mention this one only because it is explicitly written from a modelling perspective.

21 Jan 2013:

Continuing review of the visual system, focusing on the structure and function of the retina.

Suggested background reading: the vision chapter(s) of any neuroscience textbook, e.g. Bear, Connors, and Paradiso, Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain, or Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell, Principles of Neural Science. But this is just for background and more information; as with the basic neuroanatomy reading above, none of it is required or examinable.

24 Jan 2013:

Continuing review of the visual system, focusing on cell response types in the retina, LGN, and V1, as well as feature maps in V1.

Required reading:

Hubel, D. H. and Wiesel, T. (1962). Receptive fields, binocular interaction, and functional architecture in the cat's visual cortex, J. Physiol. 160: 106-154.

Note that this is a long article, and you will not be examined on any of the details of its contents. So feel free to skim it at whatever level you prefer. Even so, this is the first important study of the electrophysiological properties of V1 neurons, and it is well worth reading. Other related papers on monkey cortex from the same authors can be found on the Background readings page, if you are interested.

28 Jan 2013:

Completing review of the visual system, focusing on two-photon imaging, lateral and feedback interactions, development, and spontaneous activity.

Required reading:

Blasdel, Gary G. (1992). Orientation selectivity, preference, and continuity in monkey striate cortex, J. Neuroscience 12: 3139--3161.

Again, this is a long and very detailed article, and so feel free to skim it looking for the high points. Even so, it is an excellent way to understand how optical imaging experiments are done, the types of analyses that can be done on cortical maps, etc.

31 Jan 2013:Modeling background (4up version)

Beginning review of modeling approaches for computational neuroscience of vision, focusing on non-developmental models for early visual areas.

Chapter 3 of the text is assigned as required background reading.

04 Feb 2013:

Continuing review of modeling approaches, focusing on SOM-based model of learning retinotopy.

07 Feb 2013:

Continuing review of modeling approaches.

11 Feb 2013: LISSOM intro (4up version)

Completing review of modeling approaches, and briefly discussing how the LISSOM and GCAL models are more biologically realistic but SOM-like ways to develop maps.

Chapter 4 and section 5.3 of the text is assigned as background reading.

14 Feb 2013: LISSOM orientation maps (4up version)

Discussing the LISSOM retinotopy model and orientation map models.

Background reading: Chapter 8 starting with section 8.2.3, and chapter 15 through 15.2.3 (only skimming necessary).

Also briefly introducing the Topographica simulator GUI, to help on the first assignment.

18 Feb 2013: Innovative Learning Week; no class.

21 Feb 2013: Innovative Learning Week; no class.

25 Feb 2013:

Continuing discussion of the LISSOM model of orientation maps.

Collecting feedback on the course so far.

28 Feb 2013:

Completing discussion of LISSOM model of orientation maps, focusing on types of training patterns and on the process of development.

Background reading: chapter 9.

04 Mar 2013: LISSOM OR/OD/DR/etc. (4up version)

Beginning discussion of other feature preference dimensions.

Background reading: rest of chapter 5.

07 Mar 2013:

Completing discussion of other feature preference dimensions.

11 Mar 2013: Adult visual function (4up version)

Discussing models of adult visual function, focusing on surround modulation and aftereffects.

Background reading: Chapter 7 and Schwabe et al. (2006), The Journal of Neuroscience, 26:9117--9129.

14 Mar 2013: Higher level models (4up version)

Models of areas beyond V1, and higher-level visual capabilities.

Background reading: Chapters 16, 17, 18.

18 Mar 2013:

Finishing higher-level models.

21 Mar 2013: Course summary and final exam preparation (4up version)

Last updated: 2013/03/11 10:35:44


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