Distributed dynamical computation in neural circuits with propagating coherent activity patterns.

ABSTRACT: Activity in neural circuits is spatiotemporally organized. Its spatial organization consists of multiple, localized coherent patterns, or patchy clusters. These patterns propagate across the circuits over time. This type of collective behavior has ubiquitously been observed, both in spontaneous activity and evoked responses; its function, however, has remained unclear. We construct a spatially extended, spiking neural circuit that generates emergent spatiotemporal activity patterns, thereby capturing some of the complexities of the patterns observed empirically. We elucidate what kind of fundamental function these patterns can serve by showing how they process information. As self-sustained objects, localized coherent patterns can signal information by propagating across the neural circuit

SUBMITTER: Gong P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2787923 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature