title: Diverse synaptic plasticity mechanisms orchestrated to form and retrieve memories in spiking neural networks.
abstract: Synaptic plasticity, the putative basis of learning and memory formation, manifests in various forms and across different timescales. Here we show that the interaction of Hebbian homosynaptic plasticity with rapid non-Hebbian heterosynaptic plasticity is, when complemented with slower homeostatic changes and consolidation, sufficient for assembly formation and memory recall in a spiking recurrent network model of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. In the model, assemblies were formed during repeated sensory stimulation and characterized by strong recurrent excitatory connections. Even days after formation, and despite ongoing network activity and synaptic plasticity, memories could be recalled through selective delay activity following the brief stimulation of a subset of assembly neurons. Blocking any component of plasticity prevented stable functioning as a memory network. Our modelling results suggest that the diversity of plasticity phenomena in the brain is orchestrated towards achieving common functional goals.
authors.affiliation: School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Brain-Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne EPFL 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Friedemann
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1883-644X
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zenke
authors.affiliation: School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Brain-Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne EPFL 1015, Switzerland.|Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15051, Porto Alegre RS 91501-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Everton J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7184-7311
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Agnes
authors.affiliation: School of Computer and Communication Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Brain-Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne EPFL 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wulfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gerstner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008954:Models, Biological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity