Neuron-based Communications

Challenges

Dr. Olga Kara
Nano Communication Centre
Department of Electronic and Communication Engineering
Tampere University of Technology
olga.kara@tut.fi

Neuron-based communication in
Neurotechnology
Robotics
Human spare parts
Human-computer interaction
Information technology
Effective resource management
Self-organization
Memory storage and retrieval

Neurotechnology is an integration of neurobiology with
information technology and engineering
Robotics and nanorobotics
Robotic vision is one of the most
complex sensory system that takes
around 1/3 of human cortex
Robotic today need camera and huge
computational power
Neurons simplify visual processing, by
compressing information at the source
and apply specific encodings in a form
of spikes.
To resolve the problem of high speed
motor control
Decision making-The complex network
of single biological nano-units neurons
able to solve the complex problems in
milliseconds by separating the problem
into small problem and resolving them
without understanding of global picture.
Bionics - robotic spare parts
Nanorobotics
Neurodust
by Michel Maharbiz from
Berkeley

We need some system
that will be able to
record simultaneously
thousands of individual
neurons in multiple brain
areas.
Communication???

Dr. Michel Maharbiz: Neural dust system diagram showing the placement of ultrasonic interrogator
under the skull and the independent neural dust sensing nodes dispersed throughout the brain.
Source: arXiv:1307.2196v1

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-08-world-itskov-futurists-convene-gf2045.html#jCp
Human Computer Interaction
Information System Research
Microsoft research on the potential of
neuroscience
Cognition
Usability engineering (implement real-time
ergonomic for adaptive fitting of the task to
the user). Embedded nanodevices?
Artificial intelligence (neurochip with real
neurons instead of computer components?)
Diagnostic and monitoring
Information processing
Neuron networks perform effective
information processing and transfer
Information coding, transfer and
decoding
Information theory
Neural system as a communication
channel
Neural coding: how the activity of
neuron (measured as output)
represent input?
When neurons face with new
information they will try to develop a
strategy to encode this information
and store it for later usage.
The mechanism of information
compression
Sensory information processing performed on many levels
Information processing
Neural circuits
Neurons are interconnected
with one another to form
circuits with dense synaptic
connectivity to process specific
information.
Circuits regulate itself by
feedback loop.
Many neural circuits together
form a neural system (as many
electronic circuits together form
a computer)
Afferent
(sender)
Interneuron -
modulator with
inhibitory
properties
Efferent (receiver) -
carry information
away from the cell
body
Information
coding
Information
transmission
Information
receiving
Information
decoding
Syntesis Release Reception Processing
Information processing in postsynaptic
neuron (receiver)
Resource management
Effective resource management in the brain
Two targets can be processed simultaneously even in a
limited information capacity situation
T1 presented first and occupied short term memory
for 500ms, T2 may not be seen
Brain can be adjusted by training the neurons to
effectively distribute brain resources

Self-organization, adaptation and
learning
Neurons self-organized
in an effective
communication network
during the development
Communication within
and between network
parties
Principles and
mechanism of this
process will help to
develop effective
communication
network between
nano devices
Neuronal plasticity
Neuronal plasticity is a fundamental property of the
neuronal tissue. This enables learning and
adaptation.
Activity in neurons can strengthen or weaken
signalling at a synapse.
High activity of neuron leads to recruitment of
more axon terminals from the same neuron.
Reduced activity leads to loss of synapses.
If two synapses are active at the same time, the
strength of the postsynaptic response may
increase at both synapses, mediated by long-term
potentiation.
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a long-lasting
enhancement in signal transmission between two
neurons as a results of synchronous stimulation
LTP plays a major role in memory formation, that
thought to be related to the modification of
synaptic strength
Memory
Memory is attributed to strengthened
synaptic connections among particular brain
neurons, yet synaptic membrane components
are transient, whereas memories can endure.
This suggests synaptic information is encoded
and hard-wired elsewhere, e.g. at molecular
levels within the post-synaptic neuron.
Memory storage and retrieval
memory is the process in which
information is encoded, stored, and
retrieved.
Encoding or registration: receiving,
processing and combining of
received information
Storage: creation of a permanent
record of the encoded information
Retrieval, recall or recollection:
calling back the stored information in
response to some cue for use in a
process or activity
1 Sensory memory
2 Short-term memory
3 Long-term memory
Atkinson-Shiffrin model
Cytoskeleton
Cytoskeleton : actin filaments, microtubuline and intermediate
filaments establish the form of neuron, maintains synaptic
connections. It is a part of eukaryotic (absent in bacteria) cells
cytoskeleton.
In the brain tubulin account for 10-20% of all soluble proteins.
Microtubules are hollow tubes formed from tubulin molecules
Microtubule is electrically polar structures composed of and
subunits (which can be a different subtypes, located at different
parts of the cell and involved in different functions (mutation may
lead to a loss of some specific function (sensitivity in nematode)).
Microtubules
Microtubules are dynamically instable and undergo
rapid cycles of growth and shrinkage
Microtubules constructed of / heterodimers (
and subunits of tubuline) that compose a
protofilament s, and form a hollow tubule (24 nm)
-tubuline is bound to DTP

is bound to GDP in microtubule (as it will
hydrolyze from GPT to GDP during the binding
process).
The tubuline + GTP at the end is called GTP
cup that will be hydrolysed by binding the rescue
process.
If GTP at the end hydrolysed without binding the
shrinkage will occur - catastrophe
The number of protofilaments can be different from
10 to 15. In mammalian cells is usually 13
Microtubules are interconnected by linking proteins
(microtubule-associated proteins: MAPs) to other
microtubules and cell structures to form
cytoskeletal lattice networks
Microtubule dynamics
growth and shrinkage rates,
rescue and catastrophe frequencies,
sometimes supplemented by pause
duration.
MT formation can be regulated by calcium
signals