Virtual Insights into Pain: Agent-Based Modeling of Neural Activity in the Amygdala

The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is an area in the brain responsible for processing of pain information. I will discuss recent efforts to create a realistic and practical computational model of pain-related neural activity in the CeA. The model allows us to synthesize firing rate, connectivity, and location data from different wet-labs into a single framework to better understand how multiple neuron populations work together to modulate pain. I will demonstrate the model and showcase results highlighting the impact of spatial heterogeneity in model output. I will also highlight the ongoing contributions of undergraduate students to this research.