Experimental validation of the free-energy principle with in vitro neural networks.

ABSTRACT: Empirical applications of the free-energy principle are not straightforward because they entail a commitment to a particular process theory, especially at the cellular and synaptic levels. Using a recently established reverse engineering technique, we confirm the quantitative predictions of the free-energy principle using in vitro networks of rat cortical neurons that perform causal inference. Upon receiving electrical stimuli-generated by mixing two hidden sources-neurons self-organised to selectively encode the two sources. Pharmacological up- and downregulation of network excitability disrupted the ensuing inference, consistent with changes in prior beliefs about hidden sources. As predicted, changes in effective synaptic connectivity reduced variational free energy, where the connectio

SUBMITTER: Isomura T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10406890 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature