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Computational Olfaction

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Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience

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Definition

In natural environments, airborne chemical stimuli are distributed unpredictably in time and space, and odorants from innumerable sources intermix freely. The olfactory system must perform computations to detect potential signals of interest within these noisy signals, extract these signals, form representations, compare these to those of previously experienced, differentiate relevant from irrelevant stimuli, and cue an appropriate response. Computational modeling suggests that subnetworks of the olfactory system may be dedicated to perform specific computations underlying these functions.

Detailed Description

Neural Networks Involved in Olfactory Computation

Computational models of the olfactory system have contributed immensely to the framing of experimental problems and the construction of complex hypotheses regarding its function. Computational models from detailed biophysical to large-scale simple neuron models have proposed how olfactory networks compute the functions...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computational Physiology Lab, Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Christiane Linster

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  1. Christiane Linster
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Correspondence to Christiane Linster .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Dieter Jaeger

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA

    Ranu Jung

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Linster, C. (2014). Computational Olfaction. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_609-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_609-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6

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