A database for neural experiments data obtained with electrophysiology

• Grant number: 12/09118-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2012
• End date: November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Quirino Simoes
• Grantee: Mariana Guerra Marins Garcia
• Host Institution: Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (CECS). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Neuroscience is a field facing new challenges and progress, mostly due to the new automation technologies available nowadays. It is possible to investigate not only cognition processes, but also function and neuronal structures. The electrophysiology technique enables the acquisition of action potentials of single neurons and/ or small clusters of neurons. Usually the electrophysiological data is not stored avoiding data corruption nor enabling unified access. In addition, data storage usually requires many gigabytes, together with the requirement of documentation of the many possible experimental protocols. The representation of the experiment, its documentation and data retrieve, are critical to perform a first analysis, and also for a reanalysis, especially when considered the ethical aspects concerning data acquisition and high cost for its obtainment. This project focus on the implementation of a database for storage of the action potentials data acquired with electrophysiology technique for cognition studies, aiming local organization and efficient recovery of the raw data using entity-relationship model. The database will be developed in a modular way using SQL language together with the softwares DBDesigner® and Postgres®. The interface will possibly be implemented with Java.