Activity-dependent stochastic resonance in recurrent neuronal networks

TL;DR

This paper investigates how synaptic plasticity influences weak sensory stimulus detection in neuronal networks, revealing that fast and slow coupling mechanisms lead to different stochastic resonance behaviors and bistability phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a biophysical model demonstrating the impact of fast and slow synaptic plasticity on signal detection and network dynamics, including transient bistability.

Findings

Fast plastic coupling enables stochastic resonance in networks.

Slow coupling induces transient post-stimulus bistability.

Results suggest mechanisms for self-organization in neuronal circuits.

Abstract

We use a biophysical model of a local neuronal circuit to study the implications of synaptic plasticity for the detection of weak sensory stimuli. Networks with fast plastic coupling show behavior consistent with stochastic resonance. Addition of an additional slow coupling that accounts for the asynchronous release of neurotransmitter results in qualitatively different properties of signal detection, and also leads to the appearance of transient post-stimulus bistability. Our results suggest testable hypothesis with regard to the self-organization and dynamics of local neuronal circuits.