Brown University
  1. Top
  2. ...
  3. Theses and Dissertations
  4. bdr:1129120

A modeling investigation of the calcium dynamics underlying human EEG signals

Full Metadata

Overview

Year:
2020
Contributor:
Pugliese, Sarah M. (creator)
Jones, Stephanie (thesis advisor)
Harrison, Matthew (reader)
Brown University. Applied Mathematics (sponsor)
Genre:
theses
Subject:
Dendrites--Mathematical models
Calcium channels
Electroencephalography
Computational neuroscience
Neurons--Mathematical models
Language:
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26300/r02q-4r48

Files

Description

Abstract:
Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are created by electrical currents from pyramidal neurons in the outer layer of the brain. These signals are easy to obtain and can provide useful biomarkers for clinicians, but little is known about how the underlying network activity in the brain generates the wave- form features of the EEG. Our lab has developed a computational model to study this relationship. Dendritic calcium spikes are a well-characterized phenomenon in layer 5 pyramidal neurons, and are potentially significant contributors to EEG signals, but our model did not accurately account for this type of dendritic activity. In this thesis, I describe my process of updating the model layer 5 pyramidal neurons to better fit experimental recordings, then examine the effects of calcium events on the simulated source-localized EEG signal. I was able to replicate findings that dendritic calcium spikes have a distinct signature in surface recordings, and found that generally the sustained electrical activity in the distal dendrites during a dendritic calcium spike pushes a significant amount of current down the apical dendrite. Particularly in the case of strong excitatory inputs which evoke many near-synchronous calcium spikes in the local network, the resulting downward current cannot be accounted for without calcium-mediated activity. This new understand- ing of electrical activity in the dendrites improves the accuracy of the model and will help future efforts to use this model to interpret real EEG data.
Notes:
Senior thesis (ScB)--Brown University, 2020
Concentration: Applied Mathematics-Biology

Content

Access Conditions

Rights
In Copyright
Restrictions on Use
Collection is open for research.

Citation

Pugliese, Sarah M., "A modeling investigation of the calcium dynamics underlying human EEG signals" (2020). Applied Mathematics Theses and Dissertations. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://doi.org/10.26300/r02q-4r48

Relations

Collection: