Improving Associative Memory in a Network of Spiking Neurons

In this thesis we use computational neural network models to examine the dynamics and functionality of the CA3 region of the mammalian hippocampus. The emphasis of the project is to investigate how the dynamic control structures provided by inhibitory circuitry and cellular modification may effect the CA3 region during the recall of previously stored information. The CA3 region is commonly thought to work as a recurrent auto-associative neural network due to the neurophysiological characteristics found, such as, recurrent collaterals, strong and sparse synapses from external inputs and plasticity between coactive cells. Associative memory models have been developed using various configurations of mathematical artificial neural networks which were first developed over 40 years ago. Within these models we can store information via changes in the strength of connections between simplified model neurons (two-state). These memories can be recalled when a cue (noisy or partial) is instantiated upon the net. The type of information they can store is quite limited due to restrictions caused by the simplicity of the hard-limiting nodes which are commonly associated with a binary activation threshold. We build a much more biologically plausible model with complex spiking cell models and with realistic synaptic properties between cells. This model is based upon some of the many details we now know of the neuronal circuitry of the CA3 region. We implemented the model in computer software using Neuron and Matlab and tested it by running simulations of storage and recall in the network. By building this model we gain new insights into how different types of neurons, and the complex circuits they form, actually work. The mammalian brain consists of complex resistive-capacative electrical circuitry which is formed by the interconnection of large numbers of neurons. A principal cell type is the pyramidal cell within the cortex, which is the main information processor in our neural networks. Pyramidal cells are surrounded by diverse populations of interneurons which have proportionally smaller numbers compared to the pyramidal cells and these form connections with pyramidal cells and other inhibitory cells. By building detailed computational models of recurrent neural circuitry we explore how these microcircuits of interneurons control the flow of information through pyramidal cells and regulate the efficacy of the network. We also explore the effect of cellular modification due to neuronal activity and the effect of incorporating spatially dependent connectivity on the network during recall of previously stored information. In particular we implement a spiking neural network proposed by Sommer and Wennekers (2001). We consider methods for improving associative memory recall using methods inspired by the work by Graham and Willshaw (1995) where they apply mathematical transforms to an artificial neural network to improve the recall quality within the network. The networks tested contain either 100 or 1000 pyramidal cells with 10% connectivity applied and a partial cue instantiated, and with a global pseudo-inhibition.We investigate three methods. Firstly, applying localised disynaptic inhibition which will proportionalise the excitatory post synaptic potentials and provide a fast acting reversal potential which should help to reduce the variability in signal propagation between cells and provide further inhibition to help synchronise the network activity. Secondly, implementing a persistent sodium channel to the cell body which will act to non-linearise the activation threshold where after a given membrane potential the amplitude of the excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) is boosted to push cells which receive slightly more excitation (most likely high units) over the firing threshold. Finally, implementing spatial characteristics of the dendritic tree will allow a greater probability of a modified synapse existing after 10% random connectivity has been applied throughout the network. We apply spatial characteristics by scaling the conductance weights of excitatory synapses which simulate the loss in potential in synapses found in the outer dendritic regions due to increased resistance. To further increase the biological plausibility of the network we remove the pseudo-inhibition and apply realistic basket cell models with differing configurations for a global inhibitory circuit. The networks are configured with; 1 single basket cell providing feedback inhibition, 10% basket cells providing feedback inhibition where 10 pyramidal cells connect to each basket cell and finally, 100% basket cells providing feedback inhibition. These networks are compared and contrasted for efficacy on recall quality and the effect on the network behaviour. We have found promising results from applying biologically plausible recall strategies and network configurations which suggests the role of inhibition and cellular dynamics are pivotal in learning and memory

Associative neural networks: properties, learning, and applications.

by Chi-sing Leung.Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 236-244).Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1Chapter 1.1 --- Background of Associative Neural Networks --- p.1Chapter 1.2 --- A Distributed Encoding Model: Bidirectional Associative Memory --- p.3Chapter 1.3 --- A Direct Encoding Model: Kohonen Map --- p.6Chapter 1.4 --- Scope and Organization --- p.9Chapter 1.5 --- Summary of Publications --- p.13Chapter I --- Bidirectional Associative Memory: Statistical Proper- ties and Learning --- p.17Chapter 2 --- Introduction to Bidirectional Associative Memory --- p.18Chapter 2.1 --- Bidirectional Associative Memory and its Encoding Method --- p.18Chapter 2.2 --- Recall Process of BAM --- p.20Chapter 2.3 --- Stability of BAM --- p.22Chapter 2.4 --- Memory Capacity of BAM --- p.24Chapter 2.5 --- Error Correction Capability of BAM --- p.28Chapter 2.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.29Chapter 3 --- Memory Capacity and Statistical Dynamics of First Order BAM --- p.31Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.31Chapter 3.2 --- Existence of Energy Barrier --- p.34Chapter 3.3 --- Memory Capacity from Energy Barrier --- p.44Chapter 3.4 --- Confidence Dynamics --- p.49Chapter 3.5 --- Numerical Results from the Dynamics --- p.63Chapter 3.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.68Chapter 4 --- Stability and Statistical Dynamics of Second order BAM --- p.70Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.70Chapter 4.2 --- Second order BAM and its Stability --- p.71Chapter 4.3 --- Confidence Dynamics of Second Order BAM --- p.75Chapter 4.4 --- Numerical Results --- p.82Chapter 4.5 --- Extension to higher order BAM --- p.90Chapter 4.6 --- Verification of the conditions of Newman's Lemma --- p.94Chapter 4.7 --- Chapter Summary --- p.95Chapter 5 --- Enhancement of BAM --- p.97Chapter 5.1 --- Background --- p.97Chapter 5.2 --- Review on Modifications of BAM --- p.101Chapter 5.2.1 --- Change of the encoding method --- p.101Chapter 5.2.2 --- Change of the topology --- p.105Chapter 5.3 --- Householder Encoding Algorithm --- p.107Chapter 5.3.1 --- Construction from Householder Transforms --- p.107Chapter 5.3.2 --- Construction from iterative method --- p.109Chapter 5.3.3 --- Remarks on HCA --- p.111Chapter 5.4 --- Enhanced Householder Encoding Algorithm --- p.112Chapter 5.4.1 --- Construction of EHCA --- p.112Chapter 5.4.2 --- Remarks on EHCA --- p.114Chapter 5.5 --- Bidirectional Learning --- p.115Chapter 5.5.1 --- Construction of BL --- p.115Chapter 5.5.2 --- The Convergence of BL and the memory capacity of BL --- p.116Chapter 5.5.3 --- Remarks on BL --- p.120Chapter 5.6 --- Adaptive Ho-Kashyap Bidirectional Learning --- p.121Chapter 5.6.1 --- Construction of AHKBL --- p.121Chapter 5.6.2 --- Convergent Conditions for AHKBL --- p.124Chapter 5.6.3 --- Remarks on AHKBL --- p.125Chapter 5.7 --- Computer Simulations --- p.126Chapter 5.7.1 --- Memory Capacity --- p.126Chapter 5.7.2 --- Error Correction Capability --- p.130Chapter 5.7.3 --- Learning Speed --- p.157Chapter 5.8 --- Chapter Summary --- p.158Chapter 6 --- BAM under Forgetting Learning --- p.160Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.160Chapter 6.2 --- Properties of Forgetting Learning --- p.162Chapter 6.3 --- Computer Simulations --- p.168Chapter 6.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.168Chapter II --- Kohonen Map: Applications in Data compression and Communications --- p.170Chapter 7 --- Introduction to Vector Quantization and Kohonen Map --- p.171Chapter 7.1 --- Background on Vector quantization --- p.171Chapter 7.2 --- Introduction to LBG algorithm --- p.173Chapter 7.3 --- Introduction to Kohonen Map --- p.174Chapter 7.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.179Chapter 8 --- Applications of Kohonen Map in Data Compression and Communi- cations --- p.181Chapter 8.1 --- Use Kohonen Map to design Trellis Coded Vector Quantizer --- p.182Chapter 8.1.1 --- Trellis Coded Vector Quantizer --- p.182Chapter 8.1.2 --- Trellis Coded Kohonen Map --- p.188Chapter 8.1.3 --- Computer Simulations --- p.191Chapter 8.2 --- Kohonen MapiCombined Vector Quantization and Modulation --- p.195Chapter 8.2.1 --- Impulsive Noise in the received data --- p.195Chapter 8.2.2 --- Combined Kohonen Map and Modulation --- p.198Chapter 8.2.3 --- Computer Simulations --- p.200Chapter 8.3 --- Error Control Scheme for the Transmission of Vector Quantized Data --- p.213Chapter 8.3.1 --- Motivation and Background --- p.214Chapter 8.3.2 --- Trellis Coded Modulation --- p.216Chapter 8.3.3 --- "Combined Vector Quantization, Error Control, and Modulation" --- p.220Chapter 8.3.4 --- Computer Simulations --- p.223Chapter 8.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.226Chapter 9 --- Conclusion --- p.232Bibliography --- p.23

Memristive Computing

Memristive computing refers to the utilization of the memristor, the fourth fundamental passive circuit element, in computational tasks. The existence of the memristor was theoretically predicted in 1971 by Leon O. Chua, but experimentally validated only in 2008 by HP Labs. A memristor is essentially a nonvolatile nanoscale programmable resistor — indeed, memory resistor — whose resistance, or memristance to be precise, is changed by applying a voltage across, or current through, the device. Memristive computing is a new area of research, and many of its fundamental questions still remain open. For example, it is yet unclear which applications would benefit the most from the inherent nonlinear dynamics of memristors. In any case, these dynamics should be exploited to allow memristors to perform computation in a natural way instead of attempting to emulate existing technologies such as CMOS logic. Examples of such methods of computation presented in this thesis are memristive stateful logic operations, memristive multiplication based on the translinear principle, and the exploitation of nonlinear dynamics to construct chaotic memristive circuits. This thesis considers memristive computing at various levels of abstraction. The first part of the thesis analyses the physical properties and the current-voltage behaviour of a single device. The middle part presents memristor programming methods, and describes microcircuits for logic and analog operations. The final chapters discuss memristive computing in largescale applications. In particular, cellular neural networks, and associative memory architectures are proposed as applications that significantly benefit from memristive implementation. The work presents several new results on memristor modeling and programming, memristive logic, analog arithmetic operations on memristors, and applications of memristors. The main conclusion of this thesis is that memristive computing will be advantageous in large-scale, highly parallel mixed-mode processing architectures. This can be justified by the following two arguments. First, since processing can be performed directly within memristive memory architectures, the required circuitry, processing time, and possibly also power consumption can be reduced compared to a conventional CMOS implementation. Second, intrachip communication can be naturally implemented by a memristive crossbar structure.Siirretty Doriast

Toward a further understanding of object feature binding: a cognitive neuroscience perspective.

The aim of this thesis is to lead to a further understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying object feature binding in the human brain. The focus is on information processing and integration in the visual system and visual shortterm memory. From a review of the literature it is clear that there are three major competing binding theories, however, none of these individually solves the binding problem satisfactorily. Thus the aim of this research is to conduct behavioural experimentation into object feature binding, paying particular attention to visual short-term memory. The behavioural experiment was designed and conducted using a within-subjects delayed responset ask comprising a battery of sixty-four composite objects each with three features and four dimensions in each of three conditions (spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal).Findings from the experiment,which focus on spatial and temporal aspects of object feature binding and feature proximity on binding errors, support the spatial theories on object feature binding, in addition we propose that temporal theories and convergence, through hierarchical feature analysis, are also involved. Because spatial properties have a dedicated processing neural stream, and temporal properties rely on limited capacity memory systems, memories for sequential information would likely be more difficult to accuratelyr ecall. Our study supports other studies which suggest that both spatial and temporal coherence to differing degrees,may be involved in object feature binding. Traditionally, these theories have purported to provide individual solutions, but this thesis proposes a novel unified theory of object feature binding in which hierarchical feature analysis, spatial attention and temporal synchrony each plays a role. It is further proposed that binding takes place in visual short-term memory through concerted and integrated information processing in distributed cortical areas. A cognitive model detailing this integrated proposal is given. Next, the cognitive model is used to inform the design and suggested implementation of a computational model which would be able to test the theory put forward in this thesis. In order to verify the model, future work is needed to implement the computational model.Thus it is argued that this doctoral thesis provides valuable experimental evidence concerning spatio-temporal aspects of the binding problem and as such is an additional building block in the quest for a solution to the object feature binding problem

Toward a further understanding of object feature binding : a cognitive neuroscience perspective

The aim of this thesis is to lead to a further understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying object feature binding in the human brain. The focus is on information processing and integration in the visual system and visual shortterm memory. From a review of the literature it is clear that there are three major competing binding theories, however, none of these individually solves the binding problem satisfactorily. Thus the aim of this research is to conduct behavioural experimentation into object feature binding, paying particular attention to visual short-term memory. The behavioural experiment was designed and conducted using a within-subjects delayed responset ask comprising a battery of sixty-four composite objects each with three features and four dimensions in each of three conditions (spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal).Findings from the experiment,which focus on spatial and temporal aspects of object feature binding and feature proximity on binding errors, support the spatial theories on object feature binding, in addition we propose that temporal theories and convergence, through hierarchical feature analysis, are also involved. Because spatial properties have a dedicated processing neural stream, and temporal properties rely on limited capacity memory systems, memories for sequential information would likely be more difficult to accuratelyr ecall. Our study supports other studies which suggest that both spatial and temporal coherence to differing degrees,may be involved in object feature binding. Traditionally, these theories have purported to provide individual solutions, but this thesis proposes a novel unified theory of object feature binding in which hierarchical feature analysis, spatial attention and temporal synchrony each plays a role. It is further proposed that binding takes place in visual short-term memory through concerted and integrated information processing in distributed cortical areas. A cognitive model detailing this integrated proposal is given. Next, the cognitive model is used to inform the design and suggested implementation of a computational model which would be able to test the theory put forward in this thesis. In order to verify the model, future work is needed to implement the computational model.Thus it is argued that this doctoral thesis provides valuable experimental evidence concerning spatio-temporal aspects of the binding problem and as such is an additional building block in the quest for a solution to the object feature binding problem.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Neurocomputational Methods for Autonomous Cognitive Control

Artificial Intelligence can be divided between symbolic and sub-symbolic methods, with neural networks making up a majority of the latter. Symbolic systems have the advantage when capabilities such as deduction and planning are required, while sub-symbolic ones are preferable for tasks requiring skills such as perception and generalization. One of the domains in which neural approaches tend to fare poorly is cognitive control: maintaining short-term memory, inhibiting distractions, and shifting attention. Our own biological neural networks are more than capable of these sorts of executive functions, but artificial neural networks struggle with them. This work explores the gap between the cognitive control that is possible with both symbolic AI systems and biological neural networks, but not with artificial neural networks. To do so, I identify a set of general-purpose, regional-level functions and interactions that are useful for cognitive control in large-scale neural architectures. My approach has three main pillars: a region-and-pathway architecture inspired by the human cerebral cortex and biologically-plausible Hebbian learning, neural regions that each serve as an attractor network able to learn sequences, and neural regions that not only learn to exchange information but also to modulate the functions of other regions. The resultant networks have behaviors based on their own memory contents rather than exclusively on their structure. Because they learn not just memories of the environment but also procedures for tasks, it is possible to "program" these neural networks with the desired behaviors. This research makes four primary contributions. First, the extension of Hopfield-like attractor networks from processing only fixed-point attractors to processing sequential ones. This is accomplished via the introduction of temporally asymmetric weights to Hopfield-like networks, a novel technique that I developed. Second, the combination of several such networks to create models capable of autonomously directing their own performance of cognitive control tasks. By learning procedural memories for a task they can perform in ways that match those of human subjects in key respects. Third, the extension of this approach to spatial domains, binding together visuospatial data to perform a complex memory task at the same level observed in humans and a comparable symbolic model. Finally, these new memories and learning procedures are integrated so that models can respond to feedback from the environment. This enables them to improve as they gain experience by refining their own internal representations of their instructions. These results establish that the use of regional networks, sequential attractor dynamics, and gated connections provide an effective way to accomplish the difficult task of neurally-based cognitive control

Reinforcing connectionism: learning the statistical way

Connectionism's main contribution to cognitive science will prove to be the renewed impetus it has imparted to learning. Learning can be integrated into the existing theoretical foundations of the subject, and the combination, statistical computational theories, provide a framework within which many connectionist mathematical mechanisms naturally fit. Examples from supervised and reinforcement learning demonstrate this. Statistical computational theories already exist for certainn associative matrix memories. This work is extended, allowing real valued synapses and arbitrarily biased inputs. It shows that a covariance learning rule optimises the signal/noise ratio, a measure of the potential quality of the memory, and quantifies the performance penalty incurred by other rules. In particular two that have been suggested as occuring naturally are shown to be asymptotically optimal in the limit of sparse coding. The mathematical model is justified in comparison with other treatments whose results differ. Reinforcement comparison is a way of hastening the learning of reinforcement learning systems in statistical environments. Previous theoretical analysis has not distinguished between different comparison terms, even though empirically, a covariance rule has been shown to be better than just a constant one. The workings of reinforcement comparison are investigated by a second order analysis of the expected statistical performance of learning, and an alternative rule is proposed and empirically justified. The existing proof that temporal difference prediction learning converges in the mean is extended from a special case involving adjacent time steps to the general case involving arbitary ones. The interaction between the statistical mechanism of temporal difference and the linear representation is particularly stark. The performance of the method given a linearly dependent representation is also analysed

The design and application of associative memories for scene analysis

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This thesis investigates a novel scene analysis system that determines the identity and the relative positions of unconstrained objects within a natural three dimensional grey scale image. Images may be of 'block filled' or 'line drawn' occluded shapes. It utilises the occluding information to discover the relative depth of objects in the scene. The system incorporates associative memories, the N tuple pattern recognition process, movable multiple resolution windows and edge detection. The structure and performance of the system and its subsystems is reported. The associative memory incorporates a novel recall procedure which has uses outside the application given here. The work incorporates ideas from the neurophysiology of the human visual system to overcome some of the problems encountered.Funding was obtained from the South Eastern Regional College (SERC)

Brain Computations and Connectivity [2nd edition]

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read on the Oxford Academic platform and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. Brain Computations and Connectivity is about how the brain works. In order to understand this, it is essential to know what is computed by different brain systems; and how the computations are performed. The aim of this book is to elucidate what is computed in different brain systems; and to describe current biologically plausible computational approaches and models of how each of these brain systems computes. Understanding the brain in this way has enormous potential for understanding ourselves better in health and in disease. Potential applications of this understanding are to the treatment of the brain in disease; and to artificial intelligence which will benefit from knowledge of how the brain performs many of its extraordinarily impressive functions. This book is pioneering in taking this approach to brain function: to consider what is computed by many of our brain systems; and how it is computed, and updates by much new evidence including the connectivity of the human brain the earlier book: Rolls (2021) Brain Computations: What and How, Oxford University Press. Brain Computations and Connectivity will be of interest to all scientists interested in brain function and how the brain works, whether they are from neuroscience, or from medical sciences including neurology and psychiatry, or from the area of computational science including machine learning and artificial intelligence, or from areas such as theoretical physics