Learning & the aging brain

CSSS Santa Fe 2007

Next meeting: Monday, June 11, 7PM: should present short blurb on exploratory topics

Concept

We can mimic the effect of aging on the human brain by deliberately corrupting neural network models of human learning (e.g. random deletion of nodes/synapses).

Possible directions include: exploring compensatory mechanisms for neuronal loss (related to self-healing networks?), modeling specific age-related diseases - e.g. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's (chaos & tremors?).

Please feel free to add questions, theories, suggestions.

Who's interested

Kristen Fortney
Gregor Obernosterer
Amitabh Trehan
Vikas Shah
Biljana Petreska
Amelie Veron
Wenyun Zuo
Saleha Habibullah
Yossi Yovel
jd
Natasha Qaisar

Questions to answer

What sorts of age defects should be incorporated into the network?

What type of neural net should be used as a model? (backprop/attractor/etc)

Background reading

Integrative neurocomputational perspectives on cognitive aging, neuromodulation, and representation. - Li and Sikstrom http://www.lucs.lu.se/People/Sverker.Sikstrom/NBR-Li-Sikstrom.pdf

Neuroengineering models of brain disease. - Finkel
http://www.mssm.edu/cnic/pdfs/FinkelNeuroengineering.pdf

Patterns of functional damage in neural network models of associative memory
http://www.cs.tau.ac.il/~ruppin/spat.pdf

Possibly related

What is physiologic complexity and how does it change with aging and disease? - Goldberger, Peng, Lipsitz http://reylab.bidmc.harvard.edu/heartsongs/neurobiology-of-aging-2002-v23-23.pdf

Exploratory committees

General note: all should look at best neural network approach to their problem

Demyelination: Biljana & Yossi
- Process to model these systems, time-delay in neural networks
- Biology of MS
Normal aging: Kristin & Vikas & Amitabh
- Biological underpinning, general patterns of damage
Parkinson's disease: jd & Kristin
Alzheimer's disease: Gregor & Natasha & Vikas
Boolean networks and self-healing: Amelie & Amitabh & Wenyun
Social implications of aging: Saleha & Amelie