A protocol-based simulation for linking computational and experimental studies

Abstract An integrated approach has been developed to facilitate the coupling of computational and empirical neuroscience by employing methodologies of simulation and experimental studies to provide a common language for these two disciplines to communicate. The core of the simulation tools (EONS, Elementary Objects of Neural Systems ) is an object-oriented library comprising of neural models, from networks, neurons, synapses, down to molecules in a hierarchical structure. A protocol-based scheme is adopted by both the simulation and the neurobiological database which stores the information about the experiments to provide the linkage.