Reinforcement learning when your life depends on it: A neuro-economic theory of learning.

ABSTRACT: Synaptic plasticity enables animals to adapt to their environment, but memory formation can require a substantial amount of metabolic energy, potentially impairing survival. Hence, a neuro-economic dilemma arises whether learning is a profitable investment or not, and the brain must therefore judiciously regulate learning. Indeed, in experiments it was observed that during starvation, Drosophila suppress formation of energy-intensive aversive memories. Here we include energy considerations in a reinforcement learning framework. Simulated flies learned to avoid noxious stimuli through synaptic plasticity in either the energy expensive long-term memory (LTM) pathway, or the decaying anesthesia-resistant memory (ARM) pathway. The objective of the flies is to maximize their lifespan, which is

SUBMITTER: Jiang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11542834 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature