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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Closed-loop Neuro-robotic Experiments to Test Computational Properties of Neuronal Networks

Closed-loop Neuro-robotic Experiments to Test Computational Properties of Neuronal Networks

Published on: March 2, 2015

Central nervous system and computation.

Diego Guidolin¹, Giovanna Albertin, Michele Guescini

¹Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy. diego.guidolin@unipd.it

The Quarterly Review of Biology

|March 6, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The brain performs computations, but not all neural processes are computational. It integrates genuine computational features with non-computational dynamics for self-organization and environmental adaptation.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Theory
Philosophy of Mind

Background:

Computational systems offer valuable tools for neuroscience, aiding in mapping brain structure and function.
The brain is often conceptualized as a computational information processor, though the extent of its computational nature is debated.
Clarifying the definition of computation is crucial to determine if the brain truly computes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether neural systems perform computations.
To define computation in a way that distinguishes computing from non-computing physical systems.
To identify which brain processes can be classified as computational using neurobiological data and a novel taxonomy.

Main Methods:

Review and synthesis of existing neurobiological data.
Application of a recently proposed taxonomy of computational notions.
Analysis of brain function from a computational standpoint.

Main Results:

The brain exhibits a complex mix of genuine computational features and non-computational dynamical processes.
These computational and non-computational elements work together to enable continuous self-organization.
The brain dynamically remodels in response to internal and external environmental stimuli.

Conclusions:

The brain is a unique system where computational and dynamical processes coexist and interact.
Understanding the brain requires acknowledging both its computational capacities and its non-computational dynamic behaviors.
The brain's ability to adapt and self-organize is a result of this interplay between computational and dynamical processes.