Memory Maintenance via Neuronal Regulation

Since their conception half a century ago Hebbian cell assemblies have become a basic term in the Neurosciences, and the idea that learning takes place through synaptic modi cations has been accepted as a fundamental paradigm. As synapses undergo continuous metabolic turnover, adopting the stance that memories are engraved in the synaptic matrix raises a fundamental problem: How can memories be maintained for very long time periods? We present a novel solution to this long-standing question, that is based on biological evidence of neuronal regulation mechanisms that act to maintain neuronal activity. Our mechanism is developed within the framework of a neural model of associative memory. It is operative in conjunction with random activation of the memory system, and is able to counterbalance degradation of synaptic weights, and to normalize the basins of attraction of all memories. Over long time periods, when the variance of the degradation process becomes important, the memory syste...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 1998
• Where: NECO
• Authors: David Horn, Nir Levy, Eytan Ruppin
• Keywords: Hebbian Cell Assemblies, Long Time Periods, NECO 1998, Synaptic Modi Cations