Logo Logo
  • About
  • Consortium
  • News and Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Blog
    • Media
  • Resources
  • HPC Observatory
  • Contact

Contact Info

  • Email Info@gmail.com
  • Phone +123 456 7890
  • Office Hours Sat - Wed : 8:00 - 4:00

Additional Links

Connect With Us

Mapping human brain functions using HPC

  • Home
  • Blog Details
February 1 2023
February 1, 2023
Blog postHPCNeurosciencePsychology
  • Blog

ContentMAP is the first Portuguese project in the field of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience to be awarded with European Research Council grant (ERC Starting Grant #802553). In this project one is mapping how the human brain represents object knowledge – for example, how one represents in the brain all one knows about a knife (that it cuts, that it has a handle, that is made out of metal and plastic or metal and wood, that it has a serrated and sharp part, that it is smooth and cold, etc.)? To do this, the project collects numerous MRI images while participants see and interact with objects (fMRI). HPC (High Performance Computing) is of central importance for processing these images . The use of HPC has allowed to manipulate these data, perform analysis with machine learning and complex computing in a timely manner.

Humans are particularly efficient at recognising objects – think about what surrounds us: one recognises the object where one is reading the text from as a screen, the place where one sits as a chair, the utensil in which one drinks coffee as a cup, and one does all of this extremely quickly and virtually automatically. One is able to do all this despite the fact that 1) one holds large amounts of information about each object (if one is asked to write down everything you know about a pen, you would certainly have a lot to say); and that 2) there are several exemplars of each object type (a glass can be tall, made out of glass, metal, paper or plastic, it can be different colours, etc. – but despite that, any of them would still be a glass). How does one do this? How one is able to store and process so much information in the process of recognising a glass, and generalise all the different instances of a glass to get the concept “glass”? The goal of the ContentMAP is to understand the processes that lead to successful object recognition.

The answer to these question lies in better understanding of the organisational principles of information in the brain. It is, in fact, the efficient organisation of conceptual information and object representations in the brain that allows one to quickly and efficiently recognise the keyboard that is in front of each of us. To study the neuronal organisation of object knowledge, the project collects large sets of fMRI data from several participants, and then try to decode the organisational principles of information in the brain.

Given the amount of data and the computational requirements of this type of data at the level of pre-processing and post processing, the use of HPC is essential to enable these studies to be conducted in a timely manner. For example, at the post-processing level, the project uses whole brain Support Vector Machine classification algorithms (searchlight procedures) that require hundreds of thousands of classifiers to be trained. Moreover, for each of these classifiers one needs to compute a sample distribution of the average, as well as test the various classifications of interest, and this has to be done per participant.

Because of this, the use of HPC facilities of of the Advanced Computing Laboratory (LCA) at University of Coimbra is crucial. It allows us to actually perform these analyses in one to two weeks – something that on our 14-core computers would take a few months, which in pratice would mean, most probably, that the analysis would not be done. 

By Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra

 

Reference 

ProAction Lab http://proactionlab.fpce.uc.pt/ 

Return
Blog postHPCNeurosciencePsychology
Logo

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101016478.
DISCLAIMER: The sole responsibility for the content lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Commission (EC). The EC is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Contacts

  • risc2-project@bsc.es
  • +34 93 413 77 16
  • Plaça Eusebi Güell, 1-3 08034 Barcelona, Spain

GDPR Compliant:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2021. All Rights Reserved. Developed by SUBA.PT

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may click "Read More" to know everything about how we use cookies.
Read MoreAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT