What is it about?
Synaptic strength is altered (switched back and forth) by neuromodulators. We let a neural network learn face recognition and then investigate the effect of switching synaptic strengths to new values. It turns out we can distinguish between a basic mode and an additional learning mode.
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Why is it important?
If the basic mode is known to be safe and reliable, synaptic switching allows to learn new features while being able to switch back to the basic mode. For a neural network that performs critical tasks this is a very useful capability, derived from biology.
Perspectives
This basic idea was published some time ago. The list of useful things that neuromodulators may do is longer than this. There is still not sufficient theoretical interest in neurochemical action in the brain. Studying this paper may help.
Dr Gabriele Scheler
Carl Correns Foundation
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Presynaptic modulation as fast synaptic switching: state-dependent modulation of task performance, Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE),
DOI: 10.1109/ijcnn.2003.1223347.
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