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Synaptic plasticity allows cortical circuits to learn new tasks and to adapt to changing environments. How do cortical circuits use plasticity to acquire functions such as decision-making or working memory? Neurons are connected in complex…
The dynamics of local cortical networks are irregular, but correlated. Dynamic excitatory--inhibitory balance is a plausible mechanism that generates such irregular activity, but it remains unclear how balance is achieved and maintained in…
Synaptic plasticity is the capacity of a preexisting connection between two neurons to change in strength as a function of neural activity. Because synaptic plasticity is the major candidate mechanism for learning and memory, the…
A pressing scientific challenge is to understand how brains work. Of particular interest is the neocortex,the part of the brain that is especially large in humans, capable of handling a wide variety of tasks including visual, auditory,…
A key question in neuroscience is at which level functional meaning emerges from biophysical phenomena. In most vertebrate systems, precise functions are assigned at the level of neural populations, while single-neurons are deemed…
In neuroscience, learning and memory are usually associated to long-term changes of neuronal connectivity. In this context, synaptic plasticity refers to the set of mechanisms driving the dynamics of neuronal connections, called {\em…
General results from statistical learning theory suggest to understand not only brain computations, but also brain plasticity as probabilistic inference. But a model for that has been missing. We propose that inherently stochastic features…
Background: The roles of neuromodulation in a neural network, such as in a cortical microcolumn, are still incompletely understood. Neuromodulation influences neural processing by presynaptic and postsynaptic regulation of synaptic…
We present an account of neuroplasticity with respect to cell-internal processing pathways in relation to membrane and synaptic plasticity. We think traditional synapse-centric, weight-based models of memorization are not sufficient or…
Neocortical neurons have thousands of excitatory synapses. It is a mystery how neurons integrate the input from so many synapses and what kind of large-scale network behavior this enables. It has been previously proposed that non-linear…
The synaptic connectivity of cortical networks features an overrepresentation of certain wiring motifs compared to simple random-network models. This structure is shaped, in part, by synaptic plasticity that promotes or suppresses…
Membrane receptors for neuromodulators (NM) are highly regulated in their distribution and efficacy - a phenomenon which influences the individual cell's response to central signals of NM release. Even though NM receptor regulation is…
We study the characteristics of weak signal detection by a recurrent neuronal network with plastic synaptic coupling. It is shown that in the presence of an asynchronous component in synaptic transmission, the network acquires selectivity…
Synaptic connections in neuronal circuits are modulated by pre- and post-synaptic spiking activity. Heuristic models of this process of synaptic plasticity can provide excellent fits to results from in-vitro experiments in which pre- and…
Our current understanding of neuroplasticity paints a picture of a complex interconnected system of dependent processes which shape cortical structure so as to produce an efficient information processing system. Indeed, the cooperation of…
Neurons communicate with downstream systems via sparse and incredibly brief electrical pulses, or spikes. Using these events, they control various targets such as neuromuscular units, neurosecretory systems, and other neurons in connected…
The basic units in our brain are neurons and each neuron has more than 1000 synapse connections. Synapse is the basic structure for information transfer in an ever-changing manner, and short-term plasticity allows synapses to perform…
Understanding the relation between cortical neuronal network structure and neuronal activity is a fundamental unresolved question in neuroscience, with implications to our understanding of the mechanism by which neuronal networks evolve…
Plasticity is one of the most important properties of the nervous system, which enables animals to adjust their behavior to the ever-changing external environment. Changes in synaptic efficacy between neurons constitute one of the major…
Short-term changes in efficacy have been postulated to enhance the ability of synapses to transmit information between neurons, and within neuronal networks. Even at the level of connections between single neurons, direct confirmation of…