Document Type

Article

Source Publication Title

Journal of Systems and Integrative Neuroscience

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.15761/JSIN.1000120

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic brain injury, whose hallmark features are the presence of focal axonal swellings (FAS), are leading causes of cognitive dysfunction. By leveraging biophysical observations of FAS statistics, we develop a theoretical model of functional neural network activity driven by adaptive changes from plasticity. Based upon the FORCE model of Sussillo and Abbott [1], our innovations highlight the role of plasticity in overcoming injuries and degeneration of neurons in a network architecture. We provide a quantitative measure, on a network level, of cognitive deficits arising from injury. We demonstrate that plasticity is capable of overcoming mild injuries while failing to compensate for more severe injuries. Such injuries are characterized by their underlying effect on spike trains propagating through the neurons in a network architecture. Specifically, spike trains can be filtered in firing rate, or blocked under more severe FAS. The level of injury dictates the FORCE model’s ability to produce a desired output functionality (and associated behavior) and allows for quantitative metrics for accessing cognitive and behavioral deficits. Thus a direct link between FAS in neural networks and compromised functional response can be established. The theoretical framework developed is a promising computational framework for providing a deeper understanding of the cognitive deficits arising in, for instance, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple-Sclerosis, and TBI. [This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. DOI: 10.15761/JSIN.1000120]

Disciplines

Mathematics | Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Publication Date

3-28-2016

Language

English

Included in

Mathematics Commons

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.