NeoCoMM: Neocortical neuro-inspired computational model for realistic microscale simulations

Abstract

The ability to simulate a neocortical neural network activity at the cellular level is of great interest in many studies. It allows for the investigation of microscopic mechanisms in both healthy and pathological brains. Microscale models of cortical volumes already exist however they are either too complex to use or too phenomenological to portray accurate results. NeoCoMM(The Neocortical Computational Microscale model) is an innovative and realistic microscale software application. It offers a friendly graphical user interface that allows for the simulation of the intracellular (single cell) and extracellular (local field potential) neural activity of a cortical column. This software provides a realistic framework that can portray the neural activity and underlying cellular mechanisms related to different brain pathologies such as epilepsy. NeoCoMM is capable of (1) simulating the cortical tissue of three different species, (2) visualizing individual cell responses to external stimulation, (3) visualizing the corresponding local field potential, (4) studying the impact of the recording electrode features on simulated signals, and (5) testing various physiological and pathological hypotheses. While NeoCoMM was primarily developed for simulating epileptiform activity, it can also generate healthy brain rhythms or be adapted to other brain disorders.