We review different aspects of the simulation of spiking neural networks. We start by reviewing the different types of simulation strategies and algorithms that are currently implemented. We next review the precision of those simulation strategies, in particular in cases where plasticity depends on the exact timing of the spikes. We overview different simulators and simulation environments presently available (restricted to those freely available, open source and documented). For each simulation tool, its advantages and pitfalls are reviewed, with an aim to allow the reader to identify which simulator is appropriate for a given task. Finally, we provide a series of benchmark simulations of different types of networks of spiking neurons, including Hodgkin-Huxley type, integrate-and-fire models, interacting with current-based or conductance-based synapses, using clock-driven or event-driven integration strategies. The same set of models are implemented on the different simulators, and the codes are made available. The ultimate goal of this review is to provide a resource to facilitate identifying the appropriate integration strategy and simulation tool to use for a given modeling problem related to spiking neural networks.

Simulation of networks of spiking neurons: A review of tools and strategies

Methods in Neuronal Modeling: From Synapses to Networks

Neural networks

Age effects on attentional blink performance in meditation

Effect of different meditation practices on various aspects of mental and physical health is receiving growing attention. The present paper reviews evidence on the effects of several mediation practices on cognitive functions in the context of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The effect of meditation in this area is still poorly explored. Seven studies were detected through the databases search, which explores the effect of meditation on attention, memory, executive functions, and other miscellaneous measures of cognition in a sample of older people and people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. Overall, reviewed studies suggested a positive effect of meditation techniques, particularly in the area of attention, as well as memory, verbal fluency, and cognitive flexibility. These findings are discussed in the context of MRI studies suggesting structural correlates of the effects. Meditation can be a potentially suitable non-pharmacological intervention aimed at the prevention of cognitive decline in the elderly. However, the conclusions of these studies are limited by their methodological flaws and differences of various types of meditation techniques. Further research in this direction could help to verify the validity of the findings and clarify the problematic aspects.

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Effect of meditation on cognitive functions in context of aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

The attentional blink (AB) is a marked deficit in detecting a second target for up to 600 ms within a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). The phenomenon of the AB has typically been investigated using college students between 18 and 25 years of age. However, the AB has not been closely studied within a senior population. Past studies have found age-related attentional deficits using cued location, visual conjunction search, and divided-attention tasks, all spatial measures of attention; however, the physiological basis of these deficits is not fully understood. The role of cognitive slowing and reduced attentional resources was examined using the AB paradigm--a temporal measure of attention. Experiment 1 found an age-related deficit independent of lag for the single-task condition and a larger more prolonged deficit for dual-task conditions. Experiment 2, using similar methods to Experiment 1, incorporated a more rigorous cognitive screen. A similar deficit was found for the dual-task condition. Howe...

Cognitive and attentional changes with age: evidence from attentional blink deficits.

The attentional blink (AB) is a marked deficit in detecting a second target for up to 600 ms within a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). The phenomenon of the AB has typically been investigated using college students between 18 and 25 years of age. However, the AB has not been closely studied within a senior population. Past studies have found age-related attentional deficits using cued location, visual conjunction search, and divided-attention tasks, all spatial measures of attention; however, the physiological basis of these deficits is not fully understood. The role of cognitive slowing and reduced attentional resources was examined using the AB paradigm--a temporal measure of attention. Experiment 1 found an age-related deficit independent of lag for the single-task condition and a larger more prolonged deficit for dual-task conditions. Experiment 2, using similar methods to Experiment 1, incorporated a more rigorous cognitive screen. A similar deficit was found for the dual-task condition. However, single-task trials appeared to involuntarily capture attentional resources for the older population. Comparisons revealed a significant difference in the magnitude and the time course of the AB with age. Results are discussed in the context of cognitive slowing and reduced attentional resources.

Attentional changes with age: Evidence from attentional blink deficits

https://www.cse.unr.edu/~fredh/papers/journal/08-rncorsati/text.pdf

Remote-neocortex control of robotic search and threat identification

Accurate dynamical models of interneuronal GABAergic channel physiologies

Spiking neural networks are computationally more power- ful than conventional artificial neural networks (1) Although this fact should make them especially desirable for use in evolutionary autono- mous agent research, several factors have limited their application This work demonstrates an evolutionary agent with a sizeable recurrent spi- king neural network containing a biologically motivated columnar visual cortex This model is instantiated in spiking neural network simulation software and challenged with a dynamic image recognition and memory task We use a genetic algorithm to evolve generations of this brain mo- del that instinctively perform progressively better on the task This early work builds a foundation for determining which features of biological neural networks are important for evolving capable dynamic cognitive agents

James B. Maciokas

Papers

Cognitive and attentional changes with age: evidence from attentional blink deficits.

Attentional changes with age: Evidence from attentional blink deficits

Remote-neocortex control of robotic search and threat identification

Accurate dynamical models of interneuronal GABAergic channel physiologies

An Evolutionary Autonomous Agent with Visual Cortex and Recurrent Spiking Columnar Neural Network