Modeling and simulation of neocortical micro- and mesocircuitry (Part I, anatomy)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The function of the neocortex is fundamentally determined by its repeating microcircuit motif, but also by its rich, interregional connectivity. We present a data-driven computational model of the anatomy of non-barrel primary somatosensory cortex of juvenile rat, integrating whole-brain scale data while providing cellular and subcellular specificity. The model consists of 4.2 million morphologically detailed neurons, placed in a digital brain atlas. They are connected by 14.2 billion synapses, comprising local, mid-range and extrinsic connectivity. We delineated the limits of determining connectivity from neuron morphology and placement, finding that it reproduces targeting by Sst+ neurons, but requires additional specificity to reproduce targeting by PV+ and VIP+ interneurons. Globally, connectivity was characterized by local clusters tied together through hub neurons in layer 5, demonstrating how local and interegional connectivity are complicit, inseparable networks. The model is suitable for simulation-based studies, and the model is made openly available to the community.
Source: eLife
Authors: Michael W Reimann, Sirio Bolaños-Puchet, Jean-Denis Courcol, Daniela Egas Santander, Alexis Arnaudon, Benoît Coste, Fabien Delalondre, Thomas Delemontex, Adrien Devresse, Hugo Dictus, Alexander Dietz, András Ecker, Cyrille Favreau, Gianluca Ficarelli, Mike Gevaert, Joni Herttuainen, James B Isbister, Lida Kanari, Daniel Keller, James King, Pramod Kumbhar, Samuel Lapere, Jãnis Lazovskis, Huanxiang Lu, Nicolas Ninin, Fernando Pereira, Judit Planas, Christoph Pokorny, Juan Luis Riquelme, Armando Romani, Ying Shi, Jason P Smith, Vishal Sood, Mohit Srivastava, Werner Van Geit, Liesbeth Vanherpe, Matthias Wolf, Ran Levi, Kathryn Hess, Felix Schürmann, Eilif B Muller, Henry Markram, Srikanth Ramaswamy
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
Funders: Fulbright Association, Academy of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, International Brain Research Organization, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
OpenAlex ID: W7124976052