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Talks and Poster Presentations (with Proceedings-Entry):

R. Hasani, M. Fuchs, V. Beneder, R. Grosu:
"Modeling a Simple Non-Associative Learning Mechanism in the Brain of Caenorhabditis elegans";
Talk: Workshop on Biomedical Informatics with Optimization and Machine Learning (BOOM), 2017, Melbourne, Australia; 2017-08-21; in: "Proceedings of the Workshop on Biomedical Informatics with Optimization and Machine Learning (BOOM), 2017", (2017), 5 pages.



English abstract:
The simplest type of non-associative learning ex-
hibited by Caenorhabditis elegans, is habituation.
It is defined as the decrease of the reflexive re-
sponse of the worm, in presence of repetitive ex-
posure to a particular kind of stimulus. Despite its
simplicity, habituation involves several identified
processes. In the present study, we computationally
model and predict the biophysical kinetics that in-
duce mechanosensory habituation, when the worm
is exposed to periodic touch/tap stimuli. At the
touch-sensory neuron, PLM, it was previously ob-
served that repetitive mechanical stimulation leads
to a sensible decrease in the concentration of the
intracellular calcium. We model three mechanisms
that can presumably be the mathematical origin of
such dampened calcium response, during habitua-
tion: 1) Decrease of the potassium ion outflow as
a result of auto-phosphorylation of a K + channel,
modeled with a dynamic K + maximum conduc-
tance. 2) Modeling the EGL-19 calcium channel
containing an inactivation gating mechanism. 3)
Reduction of the inner calcium level, replicated by
a sigmoid-like calcium pump conductivity variable.
Moreover, at the signalling level, synaptic depres-
sion causes habituation. We mathematically ad-
dress how synapses play a role in completion of
habituation, dihabituation process and propagation
of the neuronal habituation to the rest of a neural
circuit.


Electronic version of the publication:
http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/publik_265636.pdf


Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.