Neural information processing with dynamical synapses

Si Wu,Misha Tsodyks,K Y Michael Wong

doi:10.3389/fncom.2013.00188

Abstract

EDITORIAL article Front. Comput. Neurosci., 26 December 2013 https://doi.org/10.3389/fncom.2013.00188

Highlights

Experimental data have consistently revealed that the neuronal connection weight, which models the efficacy of firing of a presynaptic neuron in modulating the state of the post-synaptic neuron, varies on short time scales, ranging from tens to thousands of milliseconds (Markram and Tsodyks, 1996; Zucker and Regehr, 2002)
Computational studies have explored the impact of short-term plasticity (STP) on single neuron and network dynamics, and found that STP can generate very rich intrinsic dynamical behaviors, including adaptation, temporal filtering, damped oscillation, state hopping with transient population spike, traveling front and pulse, spiral wave, rotating bump state, robust self-organized critical activity and so on
short-term depression (STD) may generate a dynamic control mechanism that allows equal fractional changes on rapidly and slowly firing afferents to produce post-synaptic responses, realizing Weber’s law (Abbott et al, 1997); STD may generate a mechanism to close down network activity naturally, achieving iconic sensory memory (Fung et al, 2012); STD may provide a mechanism for memory searching by destabilizing attractor states (Torres et al, 2007); and short-term facilitation (STF) may provide a mechanism for implementing work memory without recruiting neural firing (Mongillo et al, 2008)

Summary

Introduction

Experimental data have consistently revealed that the neuronal connection weight, which models the efficacy of firing of a presynaptic neuron in modulating the state of the post-synaptic neuron, varies on short time scales, ranging from tens to thousands of milliseconds (Markram and Tsodyks, 1996; Zucker and Regehr, 2002). Computational studies have explored the impact of STP on single neuron and network dynamics, and found that STP can generate very rich intrinsic dynamical behaviors, including adaptation, temporal filtering, damped oscillation, state hopping with transient population spike, traveling front and pulse, spiral wave, rotating bump state, robust self-organized critical activity and so on.

Results

Conclusion