Jesse T Palma

About

I am a doctoral candidate in Cognitive and Neural Systems at Boston University.
I study Computational Neuroscience, specifically how neurotransmitters impact
the stability of patterns in spiking thalamocortical circuits.
I work with Stephen Grossberg and Massimiliano Versace.

Documents

Dissertation

Sigmoid Signaling and Pattern Processing by Spiking Cortical Networks:
Modulation by After-hyperpolarization Currents and Acetylcholine. (Expected October 2011)

Papers and Presentations

Palma, J., Versace, M., Grossberg, S. After-hyperpolarization Currents and Acetylcholine Modulate How Activity Patterns are Stored in Cortical Working Memory. In prep.

Versace, M., Palma, J., Grossberg, S. A Shared Brain Design for Learning and Choice in Cognitive and Motor Systems: Decision Making by Resonant Attention. In prep.

Palma, J., Versace, M., and Grossberg, S. (2011). After-hyperpolarization Currents and Acetylcholine Control Sigmoid Transfer Functions in a Spiking Cortical Model. Journal of Computational Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1007/s10827-011-0354-8.
Download the PDF

Palma, J., Versace, M., and Grossberg, S. (2011) After-hyperpolarization Currents and Calcium Dynamics Control Sigmoid Transfer Functions in Spiking Cortical Networks. ICCNS 2011, Boston, MA, USA. (Talk)
Conference Website

Palma, J., Versace, M., and Grossberg, S. (2009) After-hyperpolarization Currents Control Sigmoid Transfer Functions in Spiking Cortical Networks. ICCNS 2009, Boston, MA, USA. (Poster)

Additional Work

Evolving Minds: Genetic Evolution of Pulsed Neural Network Agents in a Simulated Survival Environment (2003)
Honors Thesis, University of Pennsylvania

Research: Projects and Progress

I study the dynamics of neural codes and learning in biologically plausible network models of spiking neurons to understand how memory stability can overcome the interference in distributed representations and enable compressed hierarchical memories.

Are neural oscillations a means for the brain to resolve interference by regulating types of learning? Is there an interdependence between the beneficial process of pattern matching and the evolved laminar circuitry of cortex? What role does sleep play in the oscillatory regulation of this circuitry and interference management? Constructing dynamical systems from current neurophysiological findings, I analyze their behavior computationally with MATLAB, Simulink, and KINNESS to theorize about spiking neural architectures of cortex and resolve these questions.

Acetylcholine and AHP Currents: Impact on Transfer Functions

With this aim, I completed a project with Stephen Grossberg and Massimiliano Versace on the function of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine (ACh) and after-hyperpolarization (AHP) currents in cortical networks.

We developed a spiking neuron model matches physiological properties of a breadth of AHP currents observed in mammalian neocortices and characterizes their dependence on behavioral ACh concentration changes and their underlying calcium mechanism (sketch of neuron at right). The simulations demonstrate how their collective state controls the shape of neuron transfer functions and explain why these state changes are pivotal for stimuli processing and memory formation.

Palma, J., Versace, M., and Grossberg, S. (2011). After-hyperpolarization Currents and Acetylcholine Control Sigmoid Transfer Functions in a Spiking Cortical Model. Journal of Computational Neuroscience. DOI: 10.1007/s10827-011-0354-8.
Read the Article

Cholinergic Modulation of Short-term Memory in Thalamocortical Circuits

We are currently exploring the impact of cholinergic signals in the context of thalamocortical circuitry as a vigilance signal. The intent is to explain how cholinergic innervation can regulate memory specificity during learning by shifting the processing mode of target populations in a context-sensitive manner.

Motivations: Pursuits and Passions

I study the dynamics of neural codes and learning in biologically plausible network models of spiking neurons to understand how memory stability can overcome the interference in distributed representations and enable compressed hierarchical memories.

Are neural oscillations a means for the brain to resolve interference by regulating types of learning? Is there an interdependence between the beneficial process of pattern matching and the evolved laminar circuitry of cortex? What role does sleep play in the oscillatory regulation of this circuitry and interference management? Constructing dynamical systems from current neurophysiological findings, I analyze their behavior computationally with MATLAB, Simulink, and KINNESS to theorize about spiking neural architectures of cortex and resolve these questions.

Modeling: Computation and Code

Simulink Library for Spiking Neuron

Design

Web Design

Using Flash and Javascript, I developed the website for the artist Kathleen Cammarata.
Please take a look:
www.kcammarata.com
...and, not surprisingly, I also designed this site

Game Design

Additionally, I am a game developer with two board games currently in progress:

The Neu Shah
This is a long-term project for a semi-cooperative semi-competitive game in which participants struggle for survival and spiritual transcendence through a semi-imaginary and semi-historical human evolution. It unfolds with an emphasis on both educational and creative processes, and has the unusual features of a varying illumination of the board, novel piece movement and non-turn based group play. The earliest version (1998) was a more typical development-based world domination game, much like Civilizations, titled Imperium.


The Four Horsemen
There are vampires, androids, aliens, scientists, transhumanists and priests - all in an apocalyptic battle of partial concealment in which identities and allegiances become revealed through their own actions. Blood is spilled and judgements made for better or worse. It's arguably a mash-up between the games Mystery of the Abbey, Mafia and Stratego with a futuristic flair.