A role for symmetric head-angular-velocity cells: Tuning the head-direction network.
Computational models of the head direction (HD) system of the rat usually assume that the connections that maintain HD neuron activity are pre-wired and static. Ongoing activity in these models relies on precise attractor dynamics. It is currently unknown how such connections could be so precisely wired, and how accurate calibration is maintained in the face of ongoing noise and perturbation. A model of the HD system that uses symmetric head-angular-velocity (HAV) cells as a training signal shows that the HD system can learn to support stable firing patterns from poorly-performing, unstable starting conditions. The proposed calibration mechanism explains why symmetric HAV cells in the rat outnumber their asymmetric counterparts. The mechanism also conjectures that the efficacy of one synapse onto a postsynaptic cell can be controlled in part by activity received by that same cell on another synapse. If its existence in biological networks is confirmed, this mechanism will add significantly to our understanding of synaptic plasticity.
Conference:
Computational and systems
neuroscience 2009, Salt Lake City, UT, United States, 26 Feb - 3 Mar, 2009.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Poster Presentations
Citation:
(2009). A role for symmetric head-angular-velocity cells: Tuning the head-direction network..
Front. Syst. Neurosci.
Conference Abstract:
Computational and systems
neuroscience 2009.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.06.2009.03.300
Copyright:
The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers.
They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.
The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.
Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.
For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.
Received:
04 Feb 2009;
Published Online:
04 Feb 2009.