41,949 research outputs found
Causal connectivity of evolved neural networks during behavior
To show how causal interactions in neural dynamics are modulated by behavior, it is valuable to analyze these interactions without perturbing or lesioning the neural mechanism. This paper proposes a method, based on a graph-theoretic extension of vector autoregressive modeling and 'Granger causality,' for characterizing causal interactions generated within intact neural mechanisms. This method, called 'causal connectivity analysis' is illustrated via model neural networks optimized for controlling target fixation in a simulated head-eye system, in which the structure of the environment can be experimentally varied. Causal connectivity analysis of this model yields novel insights into neural mechanisms underlying sensorimotor coordination. In contrast to networks supporting comparatively simple behavior, networks supporting rich adaptive behavior show a higher density of causal interactions, as well as a stronger causal flow from sensory inputs to motor outputs. They also show different arrangements of 'causal sources' and 'causal sinks': nodes that differentially affect, or are affected by, the remainder of the network. Finally, analysis of causal connectivity can predict the functional consequences of network lesions. These results suggest that causal connectivity analysis may have useful applications in the analysis of neural dynamics
A mathematical analysis of the effects of Hebbian learning rules on the dynamics and structure of discrete-time random recurrent neural networks
We present a mathematical analysis of the effects of Hebbian learning in
random recurrent neural networks, with a generic Hebbian learning rule
including passive forgetting and different time scales for neuronal activity
and learning dynamics. Previous numerical works have reported that Hebbian
learning drives the system from chaos to a steady state through a sequence of
bifurcations. Here, we interpret these results mathematically and show that
these effects, involving a complex coupling between neuronal dynamics and
synaptic graph structure, can be analyzed using Jacobian matrices, which
introduce both a structural and a dynamical point of view on the neural network
evolution. Furthermore, we show that the sensitivity to a learned pattern is
maximal when the largest Lyapunov exponent is close to 0. We discuss how neural
networks may take advantage of this regime of high functional interest
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