Intrinsic Bursting Enhances the Robustness of a Neural Network Model of Sequence Generation by Avian Brain Area HVC

Overview

Journal J Comput Neurosci

Specialties Biology
Neurology

Date 2007 Apr 19

PMID 17440800

Citations 45

Authors

Dezhe Z Jin

Fethi M Ramazanoglu

H Sebastian Seung

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Avian brain area HVC is known to be important for the production of birdsong. In zebra finches, each RA-projecting neuron in HVC emits a single burst of spikes during a song motif. The population of neurons is activated in a precisely timed, stereotyped sequence. We propose a model of these burst sequences that relies on two hypotheses. First, we hypothesize that the sequential order of bursting is reflected in the excitatory synaptic connections between neurons. Second, we propose that the neurons are intrinsically bursting, so that burst duration is set by cellular properties. Our model generates burst sequences similar to those observed in HVC. If intrinsic bursting is removed from the model, burst sequences can also be produced. However, they require more fine-tuning of synaptic strengths, and are therefore less robust. In our model, intrinsic bursting is caused by dendritic calcium spikes, and strong spike frequency adaptation in the soma contributes to burst termination.

Citing Articles

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Lu J, Surendralal S, Bouchard K, Jin D J Neurosci. 2025; 45(9).

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Model of the HVC neural network as a song motor in zebra finch.

Xia P, Abarbanel H Front Comput Neurosci. 2024; 18:1417558.

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Active intrinsic conductances in recurrent networks allow for long-lasting transients and sustained activity with realistic firing rates as well as robust plasticity.

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Addition of new neurons and the emergence of a local neural circuit for precise timing.

Tupikov Y, Jin D PLoS Comput Biol. 2021; 17(3):e1008824.

PMID: 33730085 PMC: 8007041. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008824.

Intrinsic plasticity and birdsong learning.

Daou A, Margoliash D Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2021; 180:107407.

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