{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,14]],"date-time":"2026-03-14T09:24:07Z","timestamp":1773480247313,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]],"date-time":"2026-02-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769990400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100012950","name":"Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100012950","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Neuroinform."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    We developed Macular, a simulation platform with a graphical interface, designed to produce\n                    <jats:italic>in silico<\/jats:italic>\n                    experiment scenarios for the retina and the primary visual system. A scenario involves generating a three-dimensional structure with interconnected layers, each layer corresponding to a type of \u201ccell\u201d in the retina or visual cortex. The cells can correspond to neurons or more complex structures (such as cortical columns). Inputs are arbitrary videos. The user can use the cells and synapses provided with the software or create their own using a graphical interface where they enter the constituent equations in text format (e.g., LaTeX). They also create the three-dimensional structure via the graphical interface. Macular then\n                    <jats:italic>automatically<\/jats:italic>\n                    generates and compiles the C++ code and generates the simulation interface. This allows the user to view the input video and the three-dimensional structure in layers. It also allows the user to select cells and synapses in each layer and view the activity of their state variables. Finally, the user can adjust the phenomenological parameters of the cells or synapses via the interface. We provide several example scenarios, corresponding to published articles, including an example of a retino-cortical model. Macular was designed for neurobiologists and modelers, specialists in the primary visual system, who want to test hypotheses\n                    <jats:italic>in silico<\/jats:italic>\n                    without the need for programming. By design, this tool allows simulation of natural or altered conditions (e.g., pharmacology, pathology, and development).\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fninf.2025.1726374","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]],"date-time":"2026-02-02T06:32:33Z","timestamp":1770013953000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Macular: a multi-scale simulation platform for the retina and the primary visual system"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Bruno","family":"Cessac","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur, Biovision Team and Neuromod Institute","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Erwan","family":"Demairy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service d'Exp\u00e9rimentation et D\u00e9veloppement, Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"J\u00e9r\u00f4me","family":"Emonet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur, Biovision Team and Neuromod Institute","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Evgenia","family":"Kartsaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service d'Exp\u00e9rimentation et D\u00e9veloppement, Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thibaud","family":"Kloczko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service d'Exp\u00e9rimentation et D\u00e9veloppement, Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"C\u00f4me","family":"Le Breton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service d'Exp\u00e9rimentation et D\u00e9veloppement, Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nicolas","family":"Niclausse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service d'Exp\u00e9rimentation et D\u00e9veloppement, Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Selma","family":"Souihel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"P16 - Programme IA, Inria Rocquencourt, Domaine de Voluceau","place":["Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jean-Luc","family":"Szpyrka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service d'Exp\u00e9rimentation et D\u00e9veloppement, Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Julien","family":"Wintz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Service d'Exp\u00e9rimentation et D\u00e9veloppement, Universit\u00e9 C\u00f4te d'Azur","place":["Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1109\/PROC.1971.8087","article-title":"Characteristics of randomly connected threshold element networks and neural systems","volume":"59","author":"Amari","year":"1971","journal-title":"Proc. IEEE"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1109\/AICAS48895.2020.9073963","article-title":"\u201cA real-time retinomorphic simulator using a conductance-based discrete neuronal network,\u201d","volume-title":"2020 2nd IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Circuits and Systems (AICAS)","author":"Baek","year":"2020"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"479","DOI":"10.1167\/15.12.479","article-title":"Anticipation of an approaching bar by neuronal populations in awake monkey v1","volume":"15","author":"Benvenuti","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Vis."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1101\/2020.03.26.010017","article-title":"Anticipatory responses along motion trajectories in awake monkey area v1","author":"Benvenuti","year":"2020","journal-title":"bioRxiv"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"334","DOI":"10.1038\/18678","article-title":"Anticipation of moving stimuli by the retina","volume":"398","author":"Berry","year":"1999","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.25080\/shinma-7f4c6e7-00c","article-title":"\u201cpulse2percept: a Python-based simulation framework for bionic vision,\u201d","author":"Beyeler","year":"2017","journal-title":"Proceedings of the 16th Python in Science Conference"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"103105","DOI":"10.1063\/1.5111803","article-title":"Linear response in neuronal networks: From neurons dynamics to collective response","volume":"29","author":"Cessac","year":"2019","journal-title":"Chaos: Interdiscipl. J. Nonlinear Sci."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.3390\/jimaging8010014","article-title":"Retinal processing: Insights from mathematical modelling","volume":"8","author":"Cessac","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Imaging"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"133436","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physd.2022.133436","article-title":"The non linear dynamics of retinal waves","volume":"439","year":"2022","journal-title":"Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"120","DOI":"10.1523\/JNEUROSCI.3749-12.2013","article-title":"Alert response to motion onset in the retina","volume":"33","author":"Chen","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Neurosci."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1167\/19.4.8","article-title":"A computational-observer model of spatial contrast sensitivity: Effects of wave-front-based optics, cone-mosaic structure, and inference engine","volume":"19","author":"Cottaris","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Vis."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00123164","article-title":"Using Canny's criteria to derive a recursively implemented optimal edge detector","volume":"1","author":"Deriche","year":"1987","journal-title":"Int. J. Conput. Vis."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00422.2007","author":"Destexhe","year":"1998","journal-title":"Methods in Neuronal Modeling, Chapter Kinetic models of synaptic transmission."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1162\/neco.2009.02-08-710","article-title":"A master equation formalism for macroscopic modeling of asynchronous irregular activity states","volume":"21","author":"ElBoustani","year":"2009","journal-title":"Neural Comput."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1925","DOI":"10.1162\/neco.a.34","article-title":"A chimera model for motion anticipation in the retina and the primary visual cortex","volume":"37","author":"Emonet","year":"2025","journal-title":"Neural Comput."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"657","DOI":"10.1016\/S0893-6080(01)00070-3","article-title":"Propagation of cortical synfire activity: survival probability in single trials and stability in the mean","volume":"14","author":"Gewaltig","year":"2001","journal-title":"Neural Netw."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2008","DOI":"10.3389\/neuro.11.005.2008","article-title":"Brian: a simulator for spiking neural networks in Python","volume":"5","author":"Goodman","year":"2008","journal-title":"Front. Neuroinform."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"500","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.1952.sp004764","article-title":"A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve","volume":"117","author":"Hodgkin","year":"1952","journal-title":"J. Physiol."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.3389\/fninf.2018.00009","article-title":"Convis: a toolbox to fit and simulate filter-based models of early visual processing","volume":"12","author":"Huth","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front. Neuroinform."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1041","DOI":"10.1162\/neco_a_01663","article-title":"How does the inner retinal network shape the ganglion cells receptive field : a computational study","volume":"36","author":"Kartsaki","year":"2024","journal-title":"Neural Comput."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1859","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-018-38299-4","article-title":"A biophysical model explains the oscillatory behaviour of immature starburst amacrine cells","volume":"9","author":"Karvouniari","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1650030","DOI":"10.1142\/S0129065716500301","article-title":"A computational framework for realistic retina modeling","volume":"26","author":"Mart\u00ednez-Ca\u00f1ada","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Neural Syst."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1016\/S0006-3495(81)84782-0","article-title":"Voltage oscillations in the barnacle giant muscle fiber","volume":"35","author":"Morris","year":"1981","journal-title":"Biophys. J."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.3389\/fninf.2013.00010","article-title":"The Virtual Brain: a simulator of primate brain network dynamics","volume":"7","author":"Sanz Leon","year":"2013","journal-title":"Front. Neuroinform."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevLett.61.259","article-title":"Chaos in random neural networks","volume":"61","author":"Sompolinsky","year":"1988","journal-title":"Phys. Rev. Lett."},{"key":"B26","unstructured":"Souihel\n              S.\n            \n          \n          Ph.D. thesis\n          Generic and Specific Computational Principles for Visual Anticipation of Motion Trajectories\n          \n          2019"},{"key":"B27","article-title":"\u201cAnticipation in the retina and the primary visual cortex: towards an integrated retino-cortical model for motion processing,\u201d","volume-title":"ICMNS 2019 - The 5th International Conference on Mathematical NeuroScience","author":"Souihel","year":"2019"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1186\/s13408-020-00101-z","article-title":"On the potential role of lateral connectivity in retinal anticipation","volume":"11","author":"Souihel","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Math. Neurosci."},{"key":"B29","first-page":"55","article-title":"A mathematical theory of the functional dynamics of cortical and thalamic nervous tissue","volume":"13","author":"Wilson","year":"1973","journal-title":"Biol. Cybernet."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1007\/s10827-008-0108-4","article-title":"Virtual retina: a biological retina model and simulator, with contrast gain control","volume":"26","author":"Wohrer","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Comput. Neurosci."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.1007\/s10827-017-0668-2","article-title":"Modeling mesoscopic cortical dynamics using a mean-field model of conductance-based networks of adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire neurons","volume":"44","author":"Zerlaut","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Comput. Neurosci."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Neuroinformatics"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fninf.2025.1726374\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]],"date-time":"2026-02-02T06:32:35Z","timestamp":1770013955000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fninf.2025.1726374\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]]},"references-count":31,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fninf.2025.1726374"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fninf.2025.1726374","relation":{},"ISSN":["1662-5196"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1662-5196","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]]},"article-number":"1726374"}}