Nicolas Brunel

Nicolas Brunel, a computational neuroscientist renowned for his foundational work on balanced cortical networks, dives into the mechanics of how neurons receive balanced inputs. He discusses the importance of understanding spontaneous cortical activity and explores the balance of excitatory and inhibitory signals that leads to irregular firing. Brunel also connects this theory to practical implications in memory storage and coding efficiency, highlighting interesting parallels between neural dynamics and methods from physics while addressing potential breakdowns in balance linked to conditions like epilepsy.