Computer simulations of dorsal cochlear nucleus neural circuitry

The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is part of the first stage of auditory processing in the central nervous system. Experimental evidence has provided a conceptual model for a portion of the DCN neural circuit that serves as a basis for the computational model described in this paper. The model consists of four neural populations arranged tonotopically. The pattern of convergence from one population to another and the strengths of those connections are important model parameters. Lumped parameter electrical circuit models are used to model the membrane potential of individual cells. Synapses are simulated by activating variable conductances in postsynaptic cells according to spike activity in presynaptic cells. The level of detail incorporated in the model is a good compromise between biophysical accuracy and the computational tractability required to simulate relatively large networks. Results are shown demonstrating the ability of the model to replicate features of DCN cross-correlation functions and to simulate DCN response properties with quantitative accuracy. The model is a useful tool for exploring hypotheses regarding DCN structure and function.