Synaptic variability in a cortical neuromorphic circuit

Frequency-Dependent Energy Demand of Dendritic Responses to Deep Brain Stimulation in Thalamic Neurons: A Model-Based Study

Thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) generates excitatory postsynaptic currents and action potentials (APs) by triggering large numbers of synaptic inputs to local cells, which also activates axonal spikes to antidromically invade the soma and dendrites. To maintain signaling, the evoked dendritic responses require metabolic energy to restore ion gradients in each dendrite. The objective of this study is to estimate the energy demand associated with dendritic responses to thalamic DBS. We use a morphologically realistic computational model to simulate dendritic activity in thalamocortical (TC) relay neurons with axonal intracellular stimulation or DBS-like extracellular stimulation. We determine the metabolic cost by calculating the number of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) expended to pump Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions out of each dendrite. The ATP demand of dendritic activity exhibits frequency dependence, which is determined by the number of spikes in the dendrites. Each backpropagating AP from the soma activates a spike in the dendrites, and the dendritic firing is dominated by antidromic activation of the soma. High stimulus frequencies decrease dendritic ATP cost by reducing the fidelity of antidromic activation. Synaptic inputs and stimulus-induced polarization govern the ATP cost of dendritic responses by facilitating/suppressing antidromic activation, which also influences the ATP cost by depolarizing/hyperpolarizing each dendrite. These findings are important for understanding the synaptic signaling energy in TC relay neurons and metabolism-dependent functional imaging data of thalamic DBS.

ADMM-Based Algorithm for Training Fault Tolerant RBF Networks and Selecting Centers

In the training stage of radial basis function (RBF) networks, we need to select some suitable RBF centers first. However, many existing center selection algorithms were designed for the fault-free situation. This brief develops a fault tolerant algorithm that trains an RBF network and selects the RBF centers simultaneously. We first select all the input vectors from the training set as the RBF centers. Afterward, we define the corresponding fault tolerant objective function. We then add an -norm term into the objective function. As the -norm term is able to force some unimportant weights to zero, center selection can be achieved at the training stage. Since the -norm term is nondifferentiable, we formulate the original problem as a constrained optimization problem. Based on the alternating direction method of multipliers framework, we then develop an algorithm to solve the constrained optimization problem. The convergence proof of the proposed algorithm is provided. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is superior to many existing center selection algorithms.

A Regularizer Approach for RBF Networks Under the Concurrent Weight Failure Situation

Many existing results on fault-tolerant algorithms focus on the single fault source situation, where a trained network is affected by one kind of weight failure. In fact, a trained network may be affected by multiple kinds of weight failure. This paper first studies how the open weight fault and the multiplicative weight noise degrade the performance of radial basis function (RBF) networks. Afterward, we define the objective function for training fault-tolerant RBF networks. Based on the objective function, we then develop two learning algorithms, one batch mode and one online mode. Besides, the convergent conditions of our online algorithm are investigated. Finally, we develop a formula to estimate the test set error of faulty networks trained from our approach. This formula helps us to optimize some tuning parameters, such as RBF width.

Self-organization in autonomous, recurrent, firing-rate CrossNets with quasi-Hebbian plasticity

We have performed extensive numerical simulations of the autonomous evolution of memristive neuromorphic networks (CrossNets) with the recurrent InBar topology. The synaptic connections were assumed to have the quasi-Hebbian plasticity that may be naturally implemented using a stochastic multiplication technique. When somatic gain g exceeds its critical value g(t), the trivial fixed point of the system becomes unstable, and it enters a self-excitory transient process that eventually leads to a stable static state with equal magnitudes of all the action potentials x(j) and synaptic weights w(jk). However, even in the static state, the spatial distribution of the action potential signs and their correlation with the distribution of initial values x(j)(0) may be rather complicated because of the activation function's nonlinearity. We have quantified such correlation as a function of g, cell connectivity M, and plasticity rate η, for a random distribution of initial values of x(j) and w(jk), by numerical simulation of network dynamics, using a high-performance graphical processing unit system. Most interestingly, the autocorrelation function of action potentials is a nonmonotonic function of g because of a specific competition between self-excitation of the potentials and self-adaptation of synaptic weights.

Model of an excitatory synapse based on stochastic processes

We present a mathematical model of a biological synapse based on stochastic processes to establish the temporal behavior of the postsynaptic potential following a quantal synaptic transmission. This potential form is the basis of the neural code. We suppose that the release of neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft follows a Poisson process, and that they diffuse according to integrated Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes in 3-D with random initial positions and velocities. The diffusion occurs in an isotropic environment between two infinite parallel planes representing the pre- and postsynaptic membrane. We state that the presynaptic membrane is perfectly reflecting and that the other is perfectly absorbing. The activation of the receptors polarizes the postsynaptic membrane according to a parallel RC circuit scheme. We present the results obtained by simulations according to a Gillespie algorithm and we show that our model exhibits realistic postsynaptic behaviors from a simple quantal occurrence.