CNS*2001 Tenth Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting San Francisco and Pacific Grove, California, June 30 - July 5, 2001

Computational models of cortical map development have been able to explain many experimental findings from visual and other sensory cortices, including columnar organization, receptive field properties, lateral connection patterns, and adult plasticity.

The talks and discussion in this workshop will provide a brief survey of existing and future map modeling approaches, examining:

• How to modify models to account for recent experimental results, such as visual spatial frequency maps, stimulation through closed eyelids, neurogenesis in the adult, roles of glial cells, roles of different input pathways and cell classes, temporally-asymmetric learning, etc.
• How to extend map models to cover topics not well explained by current approaches, such as the development of the variety of receptive field types (complex cells, end-stopped cells, etc.), the development of multiple layers, integration of all the overlaid functional maps (including color blobs and size preferences), the development of multiple areas (including the role of feedback), integration of multiple sensory areas, etc.
• How to differentiate between different models of the same phenomena, finding concrete predictions of each model that can be tested by experiment.

Other current topics related to map development are also very welcome.

Organized by J. A. Bednar and R. Miikkulainen