1. A plausible method for assembling a neural circuit for decision-making
- Author
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Hui, Wei and Dawei, Dai
- Abstract
Neuroscience seeks to understand how neural circuits lead to behavior. However, the gap between circuits and behavior is too wide. To explore how the microscopic neural activities leads to macroscopic behavioral control strategy, we considered the behaviors that humans and animals exhibit following some basic control rules, which can be described by simple logic language. The pulse mode of biological neurons is viewed as an expression of logical propositions, and a circuit constructed by biological neurons is seen as an equivalent achievement of logical operations (McCulloch & Pitts, 1943). And we know that any one complex logical operation can be equivalent to a logical expression that only contains three basic operations. We assume the logic-like operation as the one kind of “canonical computations” in the brain. This paper first designed the functional circuits to achieve the basic logic-like operations (And-like, Or-like, Negative-like) by spiking neuron model based on the known neurophysiological properties, and then, using the functional networks constructed a possible neural circuit for decision logic of animal’s behavior. Finally, we simulated a decision-making process from both microcosmic neural activities and macro behavior. The contributions of this study is that we extend our understanding that treating the neurons, constituting neural circuits and its working principle from a logical perspective under the premise of strict compliance with the neural electrophysiological characteristics and anatomical facts. In addition, this study provides a general approach for constructing the neural circuits to implement the behavioral control logic. This study may be useful for us to understand how the microscopic activities of the nervous system lead to the macroscopic animal behavior.
- Published
- 2018
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