Santa Fe Institute Events Wiki - User contributions [en]

Activity-dependent Growth and Self-Organization in a Neural Network Model:

2006-08-02T12:38:44Z

Rstolli:

== Abstract ==
The development of neural circuits is determined to a large extent by experience during critical periods of early postnatal life. Several interacting processes have been identified to be involved in the formation of new synaptic connections and the elimination of already existing connections: functional competition between inputs, neuronal activity, structural consolidation at the end of the critical period and regulation of synaptic connections by experience.

In this study we introduce a neuron model for activity-dependent growth and self-organization of a neural network based on a neurobiologically plausible mechanism of competition for neurotrophic growth factors among synaptic connections inside every neuron. We extend previous models by including a detailed topological model of neuronal outgrowth in combination with recurrent lateral excitation among neurons. In a series of simulation studies we investigate the influence of neurotrophic factors and firing rate dynamics on the connectivity of generated neural networks.

We find that providing a network of initially fully connected neurons with two different baseline input patterns leads to differentiation into two corresponding clusters. Furthermore, we show that the total amount of neurotrophic factors available for each neuron plays an important role in the development of the connectivity of the neural network and we hypothesize that this might be involved in the initialization and dynamics of critical periods.

Rainer Stollhoff

2006-06-26T19:18:46Z

Rstolli:

== Rainer Stollhoff ==
''Put my answers above everything else, so that it's easier to find''

'''1. What topics do you have some expertise in and would you be willing
to help others learn them?'''

Looks like there's not a lot of participants from neuroscience/psychology. I might talk about human cognition, perception, face recognition...

'''2. What do you want to learn at the CSSS?'''

How neural networks or other models of complex systems get affected by parameter changes outside of the narrow range normally studied. How stable complex systems are with regard to disturbances, how "damaged" systems can adapt to their environment.

'''3. Do you have any projects or research interests that would benefit
from an interdisciplinary approach?'''

Human Cognition.

'''4. Do you have any ideas for what sort of project you would like to
do this summer?'''

Modelling critical periods in the training phase of neural networks.

'''5. Suppose you could travel one-hundred years in the future and ask
researchers any three questions. What would those questions be?'''

Only one: How old am I?

[[Image:RSPhoto.jpg]]

''Since you made it that far and weren't alienated by the wonderfull picture, I should probably start introducing myself.''

My name is Rainer Stollhoff, currently I'm working as a PhD student in Mathematics at the [http://www.mis.mpg.de Max-Planck-Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leipzig Leipzig, Germany].

The topic of my thesis is "Mathematical Modelling of Prosopagnosia". Prosopagnosia or faceblindness is the inability to identify other people by their faces (see [http://www.faceblind.org/] or [http://www.choisser.com/faceblind/]). Since this is a rather applied and interdisciplinary topic - at least for a mathematician - I can not name any research focus, but only give a list of buzzwords related to my current research: Artificial Neural Networks, Pattern Recognition, Connectionist Modelling, Computational Neuroscience, ...

During the last weeks I tried my very best to learn a bit of chinese and I'd be glad if some of you are willing and patient enough to teach me more about the chinese language, culture and history.

我们在北京见

Cheers, Rainer

Rainer Stollhoff

2006-06-26T19:18:00Z

Rstolli:

== Rainer Stollhoff ==
''Put my answers above everything else, so that it's easier to find''

'''1. What topics do you have some expertise in and would you be willing
to help others learn them?'''
Looks like there's not a lot of participants from neuroscience/psychology. I might talk about human cognition, perception, face recognition...

'''2. What do you want to learn at the CSSS?'''
How neural networks or other models of complex systems get affected by parameter changes outside of the narrow range normally studied. How stable complex systems are with regard to disturbances, how "damaged" systems can adapt to their environment.

'''3. Do you have any projects or research interests that would benefit
from an interdisciplinary approach?'''
Human Cognition.

'''4. Do you have any ideas for what sort of project you would like to
do this summer?'''
Modelling critical periods in the training phase of neural networks.

'''5. Suppose you could travel one-hundred years in the future and ask
researchers any three questions. What would those questions be?'''
Only one: How old am I?

[[Image:RSPhoto.jpg]]

''Since you made it that far and weren't alienated by the wonderfull picture, I should probably start introducing myself.''

My name is Rainer Stollhoff, currently I'm working as a PhD student in Mathematics at the [http://www.mis.mpg.de Max-Planck-Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leipzig Leipzig, Germany].

The topic of my thesis is "Mathematical Modelling of Prosopagnosia". Prosopagnosia or faceblindness is the inability to identify other people by their faces (see [http://www.faceblind.org/] or [http://www.choisser.com/faceblind/]). Since this is a rather applied and interdisciplinary topic - at least for a mathematician - I can not name any research focus, but only give a list of buzzwords related to my current research: Artificial Neural Networks, Pattern Recognition, Connectionist Modelling, Computational Neuroscience, ...

During the last weeks I tried my very best to learn a bit of chinese and I'd be glad if some of you are willing and patient enough to teach me more about the chinese language, culture and history.

我们在北京见

Cheers, Rainer

Rainer Stollhoff

2006-06-07T10:17:25Z

Rstolli: /* Rainer Stollhoff */

== Rainer Stollhoff ==

[[Image:RSPhoto.jpg]]

''Since you made it that far and weren't alienated by the wonderfull picture, I should probably start introducing myself.''

My name is Rainer Stollhoff, currently I'm working as a PhD student in Mathematics at the [http://www.mis.mpg.de Max-Planck-Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leipzig Leipzig, Germany].

The topic of my thesis is "Mathematical Modelling of Prosopagnosia". Prosopagnosia or faceblindness is the inability to identify other people by their faces (see [http://www.faceblind.org/] or [http://www.choisser.com/faceblind/]). Since this is a rather applied and interdisciplinary topic - at least for a mathematician - I can not name any research focus, but only give a list of buzzwords related to my current research: Artificial Neural Networks, Pattern Recognition, Connectionist Modelling, Computational Neuroscience, ...

During the last weeks I tried my very best to learn a bit of chinese and I'd be glad if some of you are willing and patient enough to teach me more about the chinese language, culture and history.

我们在北京见

Cheers, Rainer

Rainer Stollhoff

2006-06-07T10:08:52Z

Rstolli:

File:RSPhoto.jpg

2006-06-07T09:47:37Z

Rstolli: