Repository logo
 

Analysis of Activity Dependent Development of Topographic Maps in Neural Field Theory with Short Time Scale Dependent Plasticity

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Gale, Nicholas 
Rodger, Jennifer 
Small, Michael 

Abstract

jats:pTopographic maps are a brain structure connecting pre-synpatic and post-synaptic brain regions. Topographic development is dependent on Hebbian-based plasticity mechanisms working in conjunction with spontaneous patterns of neural activity generated in the pre-synaptic regions. Studies performed in mouse have shown that these spontaneous patterns can exhibit complex spatial-temporal structures which existing models cannot incorporate. Neural field theories are appropriate modelling paradigms for topographic systems due to the dense nature of the connections between regions and can be augmented with a plasticity rule general enough to capture complex time-varying structures. We propose a theoretical framework for studying the development of topography in the context of complex spatial-temporal activity fed-forward from the pre-synaptic to post-synaptic regions. Analysis of the model leads to an analytic solution corroborating the conclusion that activity can drive the refinement of topographic projections. The analysis also suggests that biological noise is used in the development of topography to stabilise the dynamics. MCMC simulations are used to analyse and understand the differences in topographic refinement between wild-type and the β2 knock-out mutant in mice. The time scale of the synaptic plasticity window is estimated as 0.56 seconds in this context with a model fit of R2=0.81.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

46 Information and Computing Sciences, 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 3209 Neurosciences, 4611 Machine Learning, Neurosciences, 1.1 Normal biological development and functioning, 1 Underpinning research, Neurological

Journal Title

Mathematical Neuroscience and Applications

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2801-0159
2801-0159

Volume Title

Publisher

Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe (CCSD)