Course detail

Welcome to Introduction to Information Theory in Neuroscience

Description: 
In this course, we introduce key concepts from information theory and their applications in neuroscience. 
The course provides a gentle introduction to the foundations of information: what it is and how it can be quantified from real-world data. 
Core topics include: 

• Entropi
• Mutual information
• Information divergence
• Transfer entropy
• Directed information,
• Partial information decomposition.

Our main emphasis will be on directed information measures, which are powerful tools for uncovering statistical relationships in time-series data such as EEG. We will also cover non-directed measures like phase synchrony to provide a broader perspective.You will explore advanced concepts such as redundant and synergistic information, connectivity matrices, and coupling strengths between time series. These approaches will be demonstrated on EEG data with applications to auditory attention decoding and epileptic seizure analysis. Through hands-on exercises, you will gain practical experience by applying the methods not only to provided datasets but also to your own physiological recordings.

Prerequisites: Basic probability and statistics

Learning objectives: Understanding key concepts in information theory and how they can be applied to real world data.

Organizer: Jan Østergaard

Lecturers: Jan Østergaard

ECTS: 2

Time: 22, 23, 24 April 2026

Place: Aalborg University

City: Aalborg

Maximal number of participants: 25

Deadline: 01 April, 2026

Important information concerning PhD courses: 

There is a no-show fee of DKK 3,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start of the course.

We cannot ensure any seats before the deadline for enrolment, all participants will be informed after the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the start of the course.

For inquiries regarding registration, cancellation or waiting list, please contact the PhD administration at phdcourses@adm.aau.dk When contacting us please state the course title and course period. Thank you.