This book is intended for use in advanced graduate courses in statistics / machine learning, as well as for all experimental neuroscientists seeking to understand statistical methods at a deeper level, and theoretical neuroscientists with a limited background in statistics. It reviews almost all areas of applied statistics, from basic statistical estimation and test theory, linear and nonlinear approaches for regression and classification, to model selection and methods for dimensionality reduction, density estimation and unsupervised clustering. Its focus, however, is linear and nonlinear time series analysis from a dynamical systems perspective, based on which it aims to convey an understanding also of the dynamical mechanisms that could have generated observed time series. Further, it integrates computational modeling of behavioral and neural dynamics with statistical estimation and hypothesis testing. This way computational models in neuroscience are not only explanatory frameworks, but become powerful, quantitative data-analytical tools in themselves that enable researchers to look beyond the data surface and unravel underlying mechanisms. Interactive examples of most methods are provided through a package of MatLab routines, encouraging a playful approach to the subject, and providing readers with a better feel for the practical aspects of the methods covered. "Computational neuroscience is essential for integrating and providing a basis for understanding the myriads of remarkable laboratory data on nervous system functions. Daniel Durstewitz has excellently covered the breadth of computational neuroscience from statistical interpretations of data to biophysically based modeling of the neurobiological sources of those data. His presentation is clear, pedagogically sound, and readily useable by experts and beginners alike. It is a pleasure to recommend this very well crafted discussion to experimental neuroscientists as well as mathematically well versed Physicists. The book acts as a window to the issues, to the questions, and to the tools for finding the answers to interesting inquiries about brains and how they function." Henry D. I. Abarbanel Physics and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego “This book delivers a clear and thorough introduction to sophisticated analysis approaches useful in computational neuroscience. The models described and the examples provided will help readers develop critical intuitions into what the methods reveal about data. The overall approach of the book reflects the extensive experience Prof. Durstewitz has developed as a leading practitioner of computational neuroscience. “ Bruno B. Averbeck

A comprehensive guide to the conceptual, mathematical, and implementational aspects of analyzing electrical brain signals, including data from MEG, EEG, and LFP recordings. This book offers a comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of analyzing electrical brain signals. It explains the conceptual, mathematical, and implementational (via Matlab programming) aspects of time-, time-frequency- and synchronization-based analyses of magnetoencephalography (MEG), electroencephalography (EEG), and local field potential (LFP) recordings from humans and nonhuman animals. It is the only book on the topic that covers both the theoretical background and the implementation in language that can be understood by readers without extensive formal training in mathematics, including cognitive scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists. Readers who go through the book chapter by chapter and implement the examples in Matlab will develop an understanding of why and how analyses are performed, how to interpret results, what the methodological issues are, and how to perform single-subject-level and group-level analyses. Researchers who are familiar with using automated programs to perform advanced analyses will learn what happens when they click the “analyze now” button. The book provides sample data and downloadable Matlab code. Each of the 38 chapters covers one analysis topic, and these topics progress from simple to advanced. Most chapters conclude with exercises that further develop the material covered in the chapter. Many of the methods presented (including convolution, the Fourier transform, and Euler's formula) are fundamental and form the groundwork for other advanced data analysis methods. Readers who master the methods in the book will be well prepared to learn other approaches.

Continual improvements in data collection and processing have had a huge impact on brain research, producing data sets that are often large and complicated. By emphasizing a few fundamental principles, and a handful of ubiquitous techniques, Analysis of Neural Data provides a unified treatment of analytical methods that have become essential for contemporary researchers. Throughout the book ideas are illustrated with more than 100 examples drawn from the literature, ranging from electrophysiology, to neuroimaging, to behavior. By demonstrating the commonality among various statistical approaches the authors provide the crucial tools for gaining knowledge from diverse types of data. Aimed at experimentalists with only high-school level mathematics, as well as computationally-oriented neuroscientists who have limited familiarity with statistics, Analysis of Neural Data serves as both a self-contained introduction and a reference work.

A practical guide to neural data analysis techniques that presents sample datasets and hands-on methods for analyzing the data. As neural data becomes increasingly complex, neuroscientists now require skills in computer programming, statistics, and data analysis. This book teaches practical neural data analysis techniques by presenting example datasets and developing techniques and tools for analyzing them. Each chapter begins with a specific example of neural data, which motivates mathematical and statistical analysis methods that are then applied to the data. This practical, hands-on approach is unique among data analysis textbooks and guides, and equips the reader with the tools necessary for real-world neural data analysis. The book begins with an introduction to MATLAB, the most common programming platform in neuroscience, which is used in the book. (Readers familiar with MATLAB can skip this chapter and might decide to focus on data type or method type.) The book goes on to cover neural field data and spike train data, spectral analysis, generalized linear models, coherence, and cross-frequency coupling. Each chapter offers a stand-alone case study that can be used separately as part of a targeted investigation. The book includes some mathematical discussion but does not focus on mathematical or statistical theory, emphasizing the practical instead. References are included for readers who want to explore the theoretical more deeply. The data and accompanying MATLAB code are freely available on the authors' website. The book can be used for upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses or as a professional reference. A version of this textbook with all of the examples in Python is available on the MIT Press website.

Soft computing, as an engineering science, and statistics, as a classical branch of mathematics, emphasize different aspects of data analysis. Soft computing focuses on obtaining working solutions quickly, accepting approximations and unconventional approaches. Its strength lies in its flexibility to create models that suit the needs arising in applications. In addition, it emphasizes the need for intuitive and interpretable models, which are tolerant to imprecision and uncertainty. Statistics is more rigorous and focuses on establishing objective conclusions based on experimental data by analyzing the possible situations and their (relative) likelihood. It emphasizes the need for mathematical methods and tools to assess solutions and guarantee performance. Combining the two fields enhances the robustness and generalizability of data analysis methods, while preserving the flexibility to solve real-world problems efficiently and intuitively.

MATLAB for Neuroscientists serves as the only complete study manual and teaching resource for MATLAB, the globally accepted standard for scientific computing, in the neurosciences and psychology. This unique introduction can be used to learn the entire empirical and experimental process (including stimulus generation, experimental control, data collection, data analysis, modeling, and more), and the 2nd Edition continues to ensure that a wide variety of computational problems can be addressed in a single programming environment. This updated edition features additional material on the creation of visual stimuli, advanced psychophysics, analysis of LFP data, choice probabilities, synchrony, and advanced spectral analysis. Users at a variety of levels—advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, and researchers looking to modernize their skills—will learn to design and implement their own analytical tools, and gain the fluency required to meet the computational needs of neuroscience practitioners. - The first complete volume on MATLAB focusing on neuroscience and psychology applications - Problem-based approach with many examples from neuroscience and cognitive psychology using real data - Illustrated in full color throughout - Careful tutorial approach, by authors who are award-winning educators with strong teaching experience

Trains researchers and graduate students in state-of-the-art statistical and machine learning methods to build models with real-world data.