12
votes
Accepted
Can neuron change from excitatory to inhibitory (and vice versa) over time?
As far as I know, it is not possible for a neuron to change which type of neurotransmitter it releases. However, it is the case that the neurotransmitter GABA changes from excitatory to inhibitory ...
- 1,875
11
votes
Accepted
Is back-prop biologically plausible?
Biological Plausibility of Back-Prop
No, the algorithm of back-prop (BP) isn't biologically plausible. However, there are other means which involve propagating the error through multiple layers of ...
- 8,853
8
votes
Are there neural loops within a column or an area of the cortex?
I've read evidence for single-neuron, two-neuron, and larger loops/cycles throughout the cortex, including intralaminar, interlaminar, and interareal neural loops. But it would take me far too long to ...
- 2,193
8
votes
Accepted
What role do circular network structures play in neural networks?
In contrast to artificial neural networks, which are almost all feed-forward architectures, networks in biological brains are highly recurrent. In the networks of cortex, the majority of synaptic ...
8
votes
Accepted
What is the capacity of the human brain?
Paul Reber, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, stated that
The human brain consists of about one billion neurons. Each neuron forms about 1,000 connections to other neurons, ...
- 12.2k
7
votes
Are thoughts transferred along with a brain during a brain transplantation?
Short answer
Human brain transplants have never been performed, so any answers to what will happen are mere speculations.
Background
Whole-head transplants have been performed on animals, the first ...
- 20.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Can humans be reduced to a function?
I think the key concept to tackle this question is to consider the concept of abstraction.
Abstract models are generalized models of some kind "reality" that we are interested in, with the aim to ...
- 348
6
votes
Can humans be reduced to a function?
For a review of how this question is debated in Cognitive Science, search for Searle's Chinese Room Thought Experiment.
In the Chinese Room Thought Experiment, Searle argues there is something ...
- 8,853
6
votes
Accepted
What is the role of (why )universal gas constant in Nernst equation?
As in the ideal gas law, the universal gas constant allows for calculation of amount of energy associated with a certain group of molecules (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_constant). As the ...
- 1,875
6
votes
Accepted
What are the advantages of 2AFC in a psychophysical discrimination task?
What makes a task a two alternative forced choice task?
I am beginning my answer with this question because there is a general misconception about what 2AFC really means. Many people believe that ...
- 261
6
votes
Delay time of Transmitting the information from one neuron to another in brain
You mentioned the neurotransmitters released at the synaptic cleft, but seem to be interested in the complete picture. An action potential is actually very slow to propagate down an axon with a ...
- 503
5
votes
What is a good example of a psychological theory that became formalized into neural and computational terms?
Check out all of the videos in this playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrppe54fixc&list=PL1hKzFfV5qJlVTjD8XWzyiaHxBZZ7iWs9&index=3
The particular video I linked gives the example of the ...
- 1,875
5
votes
Accepted
Publicly Available NEURON models
A repository of publicly available NEURON models can be found on ModelDB by filtering for Models that contain the Modeling Application: NEURON.
- 8,853
5
votes
A question on synapses
According to this research paper by Lockary and Goodman, the resting membrane potential of C.Elegans is two fold because its a stepped resting potential of -70mV and -35mV. After an initial activation ...
- 1,196
5
votes
What leaps in technology would be needed to scan the total state of the human brain?
Your question can be reduced to "What level of detail do we need to know about a brain to be able to simulate it?"
The answer to this question is we have no idea. The Blue Brain project has bet on ...
- 8,853
5
votes
Can "fire together, wire together" be undone?
The phrase "fire together, wire together" comes from an explanation of Hebbian Learning and refers to the adaptation of synapses as a response to the firing of already connected neurons. This is one ...
- 8,853
5
votes
Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity interpretation
The best explanation for STDP that I've ever seen is Nicky Case's Neurotic Neurons. In this Explorable Explanation, I think you'll find that your misunderstanding lies in the fact that both the pre-...
- 8,853
5
votes
Accepted
"Nested Neurons": Are they biologically plausible?
Disregarding the feasibility of neurons within neurons in silico, the answer to
Is there any evidence for neurons existing within other neurons in humans or other organisms?
from a practical, ...
- 20.6k
5
votes
What does it mean when we say that "a neuron connects to a certain cortical layer"?
Short answer
In complicated matters like neural connections in a layered cortex, it is all about semantics. One should carefully place statements in their context and deduce their meaning.
...
- 20.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Can information be lost while traveling through neurotransmitters?
Synapse Information Processing
In the Neural Engineering Framework (NEF), synapses are:
Leveraged to provide filtering of spikes at different time scales. This allows for managing heterogeneity in ...
- 8,853
5
votes
Brain and General Sections
It depends on the type of addictive substances (i.e., opioid, amphetamine, LSD, etc). Different types bind to different sets of receptors of neurotransmitters (i.e., dopamine, serotonin, GABA, etc.) ...
- 1,825
5
votes
Cerebellum question
I don't have a clear and definitive answer to give to you but first you should have a look about brain development (from:https://www.apa.org/education/k12/brain-function):
And to the function ...
- 213
5
votes
Cerebellum question
Hagfish, the most primitive vertebrates, do not appear to have a cerebellum, or if they do have one it is very primitive. Hagfish have most of the other structures found in vertebrate brains (...
- 235
5
votes
Accepted
Does monism imply that computers can have consciousness?
Note: While "The Basic Theory of the Mind" may potentially be well researched and possibly accurate, it is (as far as I know) a self-published discourse by a non-researcher, that is not peer-reviewed. ...
- 19.6k
5
votes
Is there any justification for viewing neurons as self-interested agents?
The answer to "is there any justification" is pretty much always "yes", but that can be a quite uninteresting "yes" if those justifications are poor. People justify bad ...
- 7,376
4
votes
Is there a neural network model of Pavlovian Learning?
I would classify pavlovian learning as a type of hebbian learning. Where events that occur together positively reinforce each other (different from reinforcement learning).
This idea has been ...
- 191
4
votes
Do dissolving myelinated connections explain learning?
Myelin is a greatly extended and modified plasma membrane wrapped around the nerve axon in a spiral fashion (Morell & Quarles, 1999). It typically forms on long axons to increase conduction speed ...
- 20.6k
4
votes
Accepted
How are movements stored in the brain?
Forgive me for not including any scientific references (I've been out of the human movement science for a while), but it is believed that movements are saved and executed in a "goal-directed" way. It ...
- 3,162
4
votes
How do the motor system and Central Pattern Generators interact?
Descending inputs onto the central pattern generating circuit provide stimulus in the form of neuromodulatory chemicals and synaptic currents (Marder 2012). The leech heartbeat pacemaker and the ...
- 61
4
votes
Are there neural loops within a column or an area of the cortex?
Yes, absolutely there are loops, and they can occur on a very small spatial scale.
Do we have a proof of local loops in the cortex?
Here are a few papers that describe experimental quantification of ...
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