Psychology 530: Neural models of memory function and spatial navigation.
Spring 2003, Monday 1 pm (note change from 12 noon).  Rm. B45, 64 Cummington or Rm. 109, 2 Cummington St.  
Dr. Michael Hasselmo, 2 Cummington St. Rm. 105E, Tel: 353-1397, Email: hasselmo@bu.edu
Office Hours: Mon. 10-11 am, 3-4 pm, Tues. 10-11 am.  http://people.bu.edu/hasselmo/ 
Class web page: http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/04sprgcasps530_a1/  
Details about software package for assignments: http://askja.bu.edu under PS530 section.

Grading                   
What                                  When                       How Much
Class Participation             throughout              10% of grade
EXERCISES (2)                Feb. 24, Mar. 17     35% of grade
MID-TERM EXAM          April 5                    35% of grade
RESEARCH PROJECT    April 28                  20% of grade

IMPORTANT NOTE.  This course was listed as "Consent of instructor" for registration.  Students should have an aptitude with mathematics and/or neuroscience background in order to perform well in the course.
• CLASS PARTICIPATION will involve participating in discussion about the readings available as PDF files for class each week (download from http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/04sprgcasps530_a1/ ).
• The EXERCISES will involve running simulations in the CATACOMB simulation package illustrating basic features of neuronal activity, sequence retrieval, and spatial navigation.
• The EXAM will contain questions on the relation between neural network models and real neural systems, and on the basic computations involved in associative memories and self-organization.
• The RESEARCH PROJECT will allow individual research on a particular subject. The nature of the project will depend upon the student’s background.  Most students will perform a predefined programming project using the catacomb package. Those with programming experience can do a separate programming project.  If necessary, some may perform an extensive literature review instead of programming.

Description
After taking this course, students should be able to demonstrate solid understanding of computational models of neurobiological mechanisms for memory function and spatial navigation, with a particular emphasis on cellular and circuit models of the hippocampus and related cortical structures.  Students should master basic neural network models and an example simulation of cortical function.

READINGS: All the readings can be downloaded each week from the CourseInfo web site at:
http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/04sprgcasps530_a1/
After logging on to the web site with your BU password, click on the “Course documents” button on the left.  Then right click the assigned reading to download to your own machine.

TEXT: Many readings will be chapters from a book manuscript:  Hasselmo, M.E. Mechanisms of Memory.
And a journal special issue:  Hippocampus Volume 6, number 6 Special Issue: Computational models of hippocampal function in memory.  Wiley-Liss: New York, 1996. 

Jan. 12 - Introduction
Course logistics.  Overview of research on models of cortical circuits involved in memory, including hippocampus and related structures.   Slides used in some topics are available on my web site as: 
http://people.bu.edu/hasselmo/PS530april1sent.htm

Jan. 19 - NO CLASS - Martin Luther King Day.

Jan. 26 – Intrinsic properties of neurons and their role in memory function (guest lecture).
Includes overview of modeling of intrinsic properties of neurons, including passive membrane properties, action potential generation, and long term afterhyperpolarization and afterdepolarization.properties.
Remember that all are readings available at http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/04sprgcasps530_a1/
Chapter Six: BookChapter6jan2003.pdf
Chapter 6: Modeling cellular physiology.  Overview of neuron function.

Feb. 2 – Empirical data on episodic memory.  Associative memory function in region CA3 
Covers basic elements of models of behavioral tasks testing human episodic memory function.
Chapter One: BookChapter1jan2003.pdf   Chapter 1: Overview of basic elements of episodic memory.
Chapter Two: BookChapter2jan2003.pdf  Chapter 2: Empirical data on episodic memory.
Chapter Three: BookChapter3jan2003.pdf   Chapter 3: Neural models of episodic memory.
Example handouts.  
PS530LinearAlgebraOverview.PDF
PS530standardNotationConly.PDF 
These are available at http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/04sprgcasps530_a1/

Feb. 9 - Mechanisms and functional properties of long-term potentiation (guest lecture).
MarkramLTPspikeTimes.pdf
Markram H, Lubke J, Frotscher M, Sakmann B. (1997) Regulation of synaptic efficacy by coincidence of postsynaptic APs and EPSPs. Science. 275(5297):213-5.
BiPooAnnReview.pdf
Bi G, Poo M. Synaptic modification by correlated activity: Hebb's postulate revisited. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2001;24:139-66.

Feb. 16 – University scheduled class moved to Feb. 17.  Due to President's birthday - 
NOTE THAT CLASS WILL BE ON TUESDAY!!!
Feb. 18, Tues.  Associative memory and fixed point attractor dynamics in region CA3. 
No new reading.  Assignment #1 at http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/04sprgcasps530_a1/
PS530assignment1.pdf

Feb. 23 – Full models of episodic memory function.
OreillyNormanMcClelland98.pdf
O'Reilly, R. C., Norman, K. A., & McClelland, J. L. (1998). A hippocampal model of recognition memory. In M. I. Jordan, M. J. Kearns, & S. A. Solla (Eds.), Advances in Neural Information Processing  Systems 10.  Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 

******* Tues. Feb. 24 – EXERCISE #1 DUE  ********
Linear algebra examples.  Catacomb simulations.

March 1 - Mechanisms of spatial navigation
Chapter Four: BookChapter4jan2003.pdf  Chapter 4: Empirical data on spatial navigation.
MullerStead.pdf
Muller, R.U. and Stead, M. (1996) Hippocampal place cells connected by Hebbian synapses can solve spatial problems. Hippocampus 6: 709-719.
BurgessOKeefe.pdf
Burgess N, O'Keefe J. (1996) Neuronal computations underlying the firing of place cells and their role in navigation. Hippocampus.  6(6):749-62.

March 10 - NO CLASS - Spring break.

March 15 – Sequence encoding and theta phase precession.
Chapter Five: BookChapter5jan2003.pdf  Chapter 5: Neural Models of Spatial Navigation
Levy1996.pdf
Levy, W.B. (1996) A sequence predicting CA3 is a flexible associator that learns and uses context to solve hippocampal-like tasks.  Hippocampus 6: 579-590.
LismanNeuron.pdf
Lisman, J.E. (1999) Relating Hippocampal Circuitry to Function: Recall of Memory Sequences by Reciprocal Dentate–CA3 Interactions  Neuron, 22, 233–242

******* Wed. Mar. 17. – EXERCISE #2 DUE  ********
PS530assignment2.pdf available at http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/04sprgcasps530_a1/
Catacomb simulations.  Around this time, I will also make available the guidelines for the final course project (CatacombFinalProjectGuidelines.pdf)

March 22 – Neuromodulation of encoding and retrieval dynamics.
HasselmoBodelonWyble2002.pdf
Hasselmo, M.E., Bodelon, C., Wyble, B.P. (2002) A proposed function for hippocampal theta rhythm: Separate phases of encoding and retrieval enhance reversal of prior learning. Neural Computation, 14(4): 792-818.
HasselmoWybleWallenstein.pdf
Hasselmo, M.E., Wyble, B.P. and Wallenstein, G.V. (1996) Encoding and retrieval of
episodic memories: Role of cholinergic and GABAergic modulation in the hippocampus.
Hippocampus 6: 693-708.

Mar. 29 – Self-organization of internal representations.
Chapter Five: BookChapter5jan2003.pdf
Chapter 5: Section on self-organization 
Optional reading on self-organizing maps (SOMs) http://davis.wpi.edu/~matt/courses/soms/#Introduction
Review for exam.  MidtermStudyGuide will be made available.

****** MONDAY, April 5 -  MID-TERM EXAM IN CLASS *********
April 5 – Mid-term in class.
Guidelines for final project will be made available. (CatacombFinalProjectGuidelines.pdf)

April 12 – Reinforcement learning and nigrostriatal dopamine
SchultzDayanMontague.pdf
Schultz W., Dayan P. and Montague P.R. (1997) A neural substrate of prediction and reward. Science 275: 1593-1597.

 April 19 – Reinforcement learning model of navigation.
FosterMorrisDayan.pdf
Foster D.J., Morris R.G.M. and Dayan P. (2000) A model of hippocampally dependent navigation, using the temporal difference learning rule. Hippocampus 10: 1-16.

April 26 – Working memory function in prefrontal cortex and entorhinal cortex.
FransenAlonsoHasselmo.pdf
Fransen, E., Alonso, A.A. and Hasselmo, M.E. (2002) Simulations of the role of the muscarinic-activated calcium-sensitive non-specific cation current I(NCM) in entorhinal neuronal activity during delayed matching tasks.  J. Neurosci. 22(3):1081-1097.
DurstewitzSeamans.pdf
Durstewitz D, Seamans JK, Sejnowski TJ.  (2000) Dopamine-mediated stabilization of delay-period activity in a network model of prefrontal cortex.  J Neurophysiol  83(3):1733-50

****** Wed. April 28 – RESEARCH PROJECT DUE *************

The syllabus, course descriptions, handouts created for this course, and all class lectures are copyrighted by Boston University and myself.  Except with respect to enrolled students as set forth below, the materials and  lectures may not be reproduced in any form or otherwise copied, displayed or distributed, nor should works derived from them be reproduced, copied, displayed or distributed without my written permission.  Infringement of the copyright in these materials, including any sale or commercial use of notes, summaries, outlines or other reproductions of lectures, constitutes a violation of the copyright laws and is prohibited.  Students enrolled in the course are allowed to share with other enrolled students  course materials, notes, and other writings based on the  course materials and lectures, but may not do so on a commercial basis or otherwise for payment of any kind. Please note in particular that selling or buying class notes, lecture notes or summaries, or similar materials both violates copyright and interferes with the academic mission of the College, and is therefore prohibited in this class and will be considered a violation of the student code of responsibility that is subject to academic sanctions.