| Professor | Teaching Assistant | |
| Name: | Michael Frank | Brad Doll |
| Office: | PSYCH 208E | PSYCH 208 |
| Phone: | 626-4787 | 626-7462 |
| Email: |
| bdoll@email.arizona.edu |
| Office Hours: | Tues 3-4 or by apt | Mon 1-2 or by apt |
Text: O'Reilly, R. C. and Munakata, Y. (2000). Computational Explorations in Cognitive Neuroscience: Understanding the Mind by Simulating the Brain. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Goals:
How does the brain secrete the mind? This course introduces you to the
field of computational cognitive neuroscience that have been applied
toward answering this question. We focus on simulations of cognitive and
perceptual processes, using neural network models that bridge the gap
between biology and behavior. We first consider the basic biological and
computational properties of individual neurons and networks of neurons,
which give rise to basic processing mechanisms like spreading activation,
inhibition, and multiple constraint satisfaction. We then discuss learning
mechanisms that allow networks of neurons to be adaptive and which are
required to perform any reasonably complex task. We examine a range of
cognitive phenomena within this framework, including attention, memory,
language and higher-level cognition, and how different brain systems (eg.,
hippocampus, parietal cortex, frontal cortex) are specialized to solve
difficult computational tradeoffs. We will see how damage to different
aspects of biological networks can lead to cognitive deficits akin to
those observed in neurological conditions. The class includes a lab
component in which students get hands on experience with graphical neural
network software (no programming experience needed), allowing deeper, more
intuitive appreciation for how these systems work.
UPDATED Full Syllabus: PDF
Download lecture slides: Overall course download site (Also see below)
Homework Projects: Here (will be updated during semester)
Download simulation software: Here
NOTE: Emergent software is also installed in the OSCR labs in: ECE206,
CC 311, La Paz, ENGR 318, Nugent, Shantz 338, should you need to
finish assignments outside of lab time.
Learn to build your own networks, etc:
Emergent Tutorial
Note: I reserve the right to update these up to the night before lecture.
