Neural Systems & Circuits aims to publish exciting research on how individual neurons interact at the network level to perform interesting computations. We welcome purely theoretical work, studies combining theory and experiment, reports of technical or analytical innovations (especially if they serve to catalyze an understanding of the function of neural circuits), and large-scale genetic or connectomic studies. All model organisms are welcome.
Editors-in-Chief
- Peter Latham, University College London
- Venkatesh Murthy, Harvard University
Articles
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Editorial
Neural Systems & Circuits 2012, 2:1 (5 January 2012)Looking back on the first year of
Neural Systems & Circuits -
Research
Neural Systems & Circuits 2011, 1:17 (29 December 2011)Coverage, continuity, and visual cortical architecture
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Questions & Answers
Neural Systems & Circuits 2011, 1:16 (18 November 2011)Q&A: What is the Open Connectome Project?
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Meeting report
Neural Systems & Circuits 2011, 1:15 (27 October 2011)EMBO Conference Series on the Assembly and Function of Neuronal Circuits
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Pure Theory papers
Neural Systems & Circuits welcomes pure theory papers, and we are happy to have all the math - no matter what the level of sophistication - in the main text. However, you should keep in mind that this journal has a broad readership.
Therefore you should include a section immediately following the Introduction, which explains your results in a way that is accessible to a person who knows some math, but is not a practicing theorist. It should contain an explanation of your results that is as jargon free as possible, including what it has to do with how the brain works and how it fits into existing theoretical frameworks. Figures and examples should be used liberally, and equations are fine - and often necessary. However, equations should be thoroughly explained, and you should use familiar ones - in the Editors' experience, a reasonable fraction of the field is familiar with equations describing single neurons and synapses, and they know a smattering of linear algebra and some probability theory. When explaining your work, there is always an accuracy/clarity tradeoff. Our advice is to go with clarity; the equations that appear later in the text should take care of the accuracy.
This is a hard section to write, and we strongly suggest that you run it by a colleague who is not a theorist. For a journal like this, however, we believe it is a necessary section. And, ultimately, it should give your work a much broader audience - and appreciation.
'Wiring the Brain'
Thematic series
We would like to draw your attention to the Wiring the Brain thematic series, an ongoing series of articles which explores how brain connectivity is established, what happens to circuit and network function when the underlying processes go wrong, and how this can lead to psychiatric and neurological disease. See the article below by Kevin Mitchell introducing and providing context for the series.
Relevant research articles published in Neural Systems & Circuits could be considered for inclusion in the thematic series. Please contact the Editorial Office to discuss further.
BMC Biology 2011, 9:23 (12 April 2011)
Editor profiles
Peter E. Latham PhD
University College London, UK
“I am excited to be part of a journal that encourages purely experimental submissions, purely theoretical submissions, and everything in between”
Venkatesh Murthy PhD
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
“I am very optimistic that NS&C will become a preferred destination for high quality research illuminating how the brain works”
Upcoming meetings and events
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