That is, we wish to understand the nature of the processing tasks or computations executed within nervous systems, the codes by which information is represented during the execution of these tasks, and the nature of the neural machinery with which computational algorithms are executed. Second, a hallmark of the research in this area is the extensive use of computational analysis and modeling approaches for studies of the functional organization and operation of nervous systems. The overall goal of my research program over the next few years is to determine how ensembles of neurons in a mapped sensory system extract information about dynamic stimuli and encode that information in their ensemble spike trains. The preparation they study is the cercal sensory system of the cricket. The cercal sensory system mediates the detection and analysis of low velocity air currents in the animal's immediate environment.
Air currents deflect mechanosensory hairs on the antenna-like cerci at the rear of the abdomen.
Receptor afferents from these hairs make synaptic connections onto primary sensory interneurons. All relevant information about the direction and dynamics of the air current environment is carried to higher centers by only ten pairs of these primary sensory interneurons. All of these interneurons are identified, and all can be monitored and discriminated simultaneously with extracellular electrodes. We have used a variety of analytical and computer modeling approaches, primarily at a systems level. Principles of information theory have been applied to the data to obtain quantitative, model-independent measures of the amount of information encoded within the spike trains of the neurons.