Behavior of a Model for Feedback-Controlled Reverberating Circuit and Immediate Memory Function

ABSTRACT

In this work we implement a mathematical model of synaptic transmission connecting neurons in a circuit of reverberating discharges in order to investigate its behavior in front of parametric variations. Using a program developed in C language, we verified if this model would behave as short-term memory circuit. In the simulation, we used neural parametric values from experimental measures in animal. Our model was able to reproduce polysynaptic activity of a neuronal group of rat brain (looping time of about 10² ms). On the other hand, we verified that the inhibitory feedback synapses in circuit with weight varying with presynaptic firing time and frequency are capable to change the circuit characteristic to reproduce the typical behavior of neural circuits. The results suggest that, differently from some recent considerations, the reverberating circuit model has great potential to reproduce the typical behavior of neural circuits and could be seen as a possible model for immediate memory.

Keywords:
modeling; synaptic transmission; short-term memory; computer simulation