Inhibitory neurons control the consolidation of neural assemblies via adaptation to selective stimuli

Brain circuits display modular architecture at different scales of organization. Such neural assemblies are typically associated to functional specialization but the mechanisms leading to their emergence and consolidation still remain elusive. In this paper we investigate the role of inhibition in s...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Bergoin, Raphaël, Torcini, Alessandro, Deco, Gustavo, Quoy, Mathias, Zamora-López, Gorka
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Recursos:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/57551
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/57551
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34165-0
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Complex networks
Computational science
Computer science
Mathematics and computing
Neuroscience
Statistical physics, thermodynamics and nonlinear dynamics
Descrição
Resumo:Brain circuits display modular architecture at different scales of organization. Such neural assemblies are typically associated to functional specialization but the mechanisms leading to their emergence and consolidation still remain elusive. In this paper we investigate the role of inhibition in structuring new neural assemblies driven by the entrainment to various inputs. In particular, we focus on the role of partially synchronized dynamics for the creation and maintenance of structural modules in neural circuits by considering a network of excitatory and inhibitory θ -neurons with plastic Hebbian synapses. The learning process consists of an entrainment to temporally alternating stimuli that are applied to separate regions of the network. This entrainment leads to the emergence of modular structures. Contrary to common practice in artificial neural networks—where the acquired weights are typically frozen after the learning session—we allow for synaptic adaptation even after the learning phase. We find that the presence of inhibitory neurons in the network is crucial for the emergence and the post-learning consolidation of the modular structures. Indeed networks made of purely excitatory neurons or of neurons not respecting Dale’s principle are unable to form or to maintain the modular architecture induced by the stimuli. We also demonstrate that the number of inhibitory neurons in the network is directly related to the maximal number of neural assemblies that can be consolidated, supporting the idea that inhibition has a direct impact on the memory capacity of the neural network.