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Quantifying the role of neurons for behavior is a mediation question

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2019

Ilenna Simone Jones  and
Konrad Paul Kording Open the ORCID record for Konrad Paul Kording [Opens in a new window]
Ilenna Simone Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104ilennaj@pennmedicine.upenn.eduhttp://kordinglab.com/people/ilenna_jones/index.html
Konrad Paul Kording
Affiliation:
Departments of Neuroscience and Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104. kording@upenn.eduhttp://koerding.com/
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Abstract

Many systems neuroscientists want to understand neurons in terms of mediation; we want to understand how neurons are involved in the causal chain from stimulus to behavior. Unfortunately, most tools are inappropriate for that while our language takes mediation for granted. Here we discuss the contrast between our conceptual drive toward mediation and the difficulty of obtaining meaningful evidence.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 42 , 2019 , e233
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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