MARCS Research Seminar

Dr Mark McDonnell, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Telecommunications Research, University of South Australia will be presenting, "Noise in the nervous system"

Abstract: Stochastic variability in the electrical activity of neurons is ubiquitous in the nervous system. There are multiple sources of this "noise", including probabilistic synaptic vesicle release, and random opening and closing of ion channels in neuron membranes. Although stochastic variability has been shown to influence neuronal dynamics in numerous significant ways, it is not clear under what circumstances the noise must be mitigated in order for robust information processing to be achieved, or under what circumstances the stochastic noise might be exploited as an essential component of information processing. In this talk I will discuss this question, and highlight theoretical and modelling research where intrinsic stochastic noise has a significant influence on neuronal dynamics and information processing.