Related papers: Has the Brain Maximized its Information Storage Ca…
The structure and quantitative composition of the cerebral cortex are interrelated with its computational capacity. Empirical data analyzed here indicate a certain hierarchy in local cortical composition. Specifically, neural wire, i.e.,…
The brain is a highly efficient system evolved to achieve high performance with limited resources. We propose that dendrites make information processing and storage in the brain more efficient through the segregation of inputs and their…
Neocortical pyramidal neurons have many dendrites, and such dendrites are capable of, in isolation of one-another, generating a neuronal spike. It is also now understood that there is a large amount of dendritic growth during the first…
Dendritic spines, the carriers of long-term memory, occupy a small fraction of cortical space, and yet they are the major consumers of brain metabolic energy. What fraction of this energy goes for synaptic plasticity, correlated with…
Deep learning has led to significant advances in artificial intelligence, in part, by adopting strategies motivated by neurophysiology. However, it is unclear whether deep learning could occur in the real brain. Here, we show that a deep…
The material bases of information - paper, computer discs - usually scale with information quantity. Large quantities of information usually require large material bases. Conventional wisdom has it that human long-term memory locates within…
Memory is a complex phenomenon that involves several distinct mechanisms. These mechanisms operate at different spatial and temporal levels. This chapter focuses on the theoretical framework and the mathematical models that have been…
The brain is a remarkably capable and efficient system. It can process and store huge amounts of noisy and unstructured information using minimal energy. In contrast, current artificial intelligence (AI) systems require vast resources for…
Mammalian brains span about 4 orders of magnitude in cortical volume and have to operate in different environments that require diverse behavioral skills. Despite these geometric and behavioral diversities, the examination of cerebral…
How does the size of a neural circuit influence its learning performance? Intuitively, we expect the learning capacity of a neural circuit to grow with the number of neurons and synapses. Larger brains tend to be found in species with…
Understanding how the brain learns to compute functions reliably, efficiently and robustly with noisy spiking activity is a fundamental challenge in neuroscience. Most sensory and motor tasks can be described as dynamical systems and could…
A fundamental function of cortical circuits is the integration of information from different sources to form a reliable basis for behavior. While animals behave as if they optimally integrate information according to Bayesian probability…
In the mammalian brain, newly acquired memories depend on the hippocampus for maintenance and recall, but over time the neocortex takes over these functions, rendering memories hippocampus-independent. The process responsible for this…
Electrons and photons offer complementary strengths for information processing. Photons are excellent for communication, while electrons are superior for computation and memory. Cognition requires distributed computation to be communicated…
A dendritic spine is a very small structure (~0.1 {\mu}m$^3$) of a neuron that processes input timing information. Why are spines so small? Here, we provide functional reasons; the size of spines is optimal for information coding. Spines…
In the mammalian brain newly acquired memories depend on the hippocampus for maintenance and recall, but over time these functions are taken over by the neocortex through a process called systems consolidation. However, reactivation of a…
The famous claim that we only use about 10% of the brain capacity has recently been challenged. Researchers argue that we are likely to use the whole brain, against the 10% claim. Some evidence and results from relevant studies and…
Neuronal circuits internally regulate electrical signaling via a host of homeostatic mechanisms. Two prominent mechanisms, synaptic scaling and structural plasticity, are believed to maintain average activity within an operating range by…
In developing brain, axons and dendrites are capable of connecting to each other with high precision. Recent advances in imaging have allowed for the monitoring of axonal, dendritic, and synapse dynamics in vivo. It is observed that the…
Excitatory synaptic connections in the adult neocortex consist of multiple synaptic contacts, almost exclusively formed on dendritic spines. Changes of dendritic spine shape and volume, a correlate of synaptic strength, can be tracked in…