Training biological neural cultures: Towards Hebbian learning

Abstract

In this paper a bio-hybrid system based on neural cultured is described and the learning processes for programming this biological neuroprocessor are revised. Different authors proposed many different learning techniques for managing neural plasticity, however it is necessary to provide a formal methodology for verifying this induced plasticity and validating this bio-hybrid programming paradigm. We used low-frequency current stimulation on dissociated cultures of hippocampal cells to study how neuronal cultures could be trained with this kind of stimulation. We show that persistent and synchronous stimulation of adjacent electrodes may be used for creating adjacent physical or logical connections in the connectivity graph following Hebb's Law.