神经生物学

The principles of learning strategy of Kohonen and counterpropagation neural networks are introduced. The advantages of unsupervised learning are discussed. The self-organizing maps produced in both methods are suitable for a wide range of applications. Here, we present an example ...

Bayesian regularized artificial neural networks (BRANNs) are more robust than standard back-propagation nets and can reduce or eliminate the need for lengthy cross-validation. Bayesian regularization is a mathematical process that converts a nonlinear regression into a “wel ...

The artificial neural network (ANN), or simply neural network, is a machine learning method evolved from the idea of simulating the human brain. The data explosion in modern drug discovery research requires sophisticated analysis methods to uncover the hidden causal relationships bet ...

Once regarded as an eccentric and unpromising algorithm for the analysis of scientific data, the neural network has been developed in the last decade into a powerful computational tool. Its use now spans all areas of science, from the physical sciences and engineering to the life sciences and all ...

In the past, neural networks were viewed as classification and regression systems whose internal representations were incomprehensible. It is now becoming apparent that algorithms can be designed that extract comprehensible representations from trained neural networks, e ...

Both supervised and unsupervised neural networks have been applied to the prediction of protein structure and function. Here, we focus on feedforward neural networks and describe how these learning machines can be applied to protein prediction. We discuss how to select an appropriate da ...

An associative neural network (ASNN) is an ensemble-based method inspired by the function and structure of neural network correlations in brain. The method operates by simulating the short- and long-term memory of neural networks. The long-term memory is represented by ensemble of neural ...

The field of neural transplantation has rapidly progressed during the past two decades. Since the first published observations on the functional effects of transplanted fetal dopamine (DA) neurons in rodents (Perlow et al., 1979; Bj�rklund and Stenevi, 1979), there are now several ongoing ...

The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of techniques for protecting central nervous system (CNS) implants from the immune system. It is necessarily more theoretical than methodological. The detailed methodology of the various transplantation techniques themselves are co ...

Neural transplantation is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Approx 200 patients with Parkinson’s disease have been transplanted with neural tissue into the brain. Of these, only a minority, approx ...

Because neurodegenerative diseases have their functional impact as the result of the death of neurons and glia, an obvious strategy is to replace them. This is a particularly attractive proposition in diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD), in which there is l ...

The survival of neural grafts is dependent on a multitude of both donor-and host-related conditions. The importance of several of these factors, such as anatomical specificity and age of the donor tissue, surgical technique, immunology, presence of growth factors, and so on, are described in o ...

As described in several different chapters of this book, neural transplantation has been used extensively during the past two decades as a model for neural development and maturation, as well as a screening tool for different factors that might affect these processes. In addition, neural tra ...

The formation of new blood vessels from existing vessels (angiogenesis) is mandatory for organ and tissue development, and differs in degree from vasculogenesis, which is the de novo formation of the rudimentary vasculature in the early embryo. Angiogenesis is a continuous event in diges ...

Intraocular grafting has become a useful tool for studying viable tissue isolated from its natural surroundings, by implanting a piece of tissue into the anterior chamber of the eye, and placing the tissue onto the anterior surface of the iris. The graft survives and becomes attached to the host ir ...

The two fundamental criteria for successful cell transplantation in the adult mammalian brain are, first, the selection of an appropriate donor tissue at a stage of development when it can survive and grow after transplantation, and, second, the selection of an implantation method and site w ...

The use of markers to label donor tissue prior to transplantation into the central nervous system (CNS) can be of critical importance, if the fate of grafted cells and the influence of these cells on the host are to be accurately assessed. Identification of transplanted material is often difficult ...

The technique of transplanting the nonneuronal or glial cells of the nervous system is almost as old as the century. Cajal and Tello (Cajal, 1928) transplanted Schwann cells (in the form of a length of peripheral nerve) into the central nervous system (CNS), with a view to providing a cellular environm ...

As evidence becomes available from long-term studies of the effects of neural transplants in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), it is clear that grafts of embryonic mesencephalon into the striatum can relieve parkinsonian symptoms, and be of therapeutic benefit to patients (Defer ...

A major goal of neuroscience research is to develop effective treatments for clinical disorders, including those with underlying central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction. Progressive CNS diseases are characterized by the continuous deterioration of both cognitive and motor f ...