Competitive Hebbian learning through spike-timing-dependent synaptic plasticity

• Published in: Nature neuroscience Vol. 3; no. 9; pp. 919 - 926
• Main Authors: Song, Sen, Miller, Kenneth D., Abbott, L. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.09.2000; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Action Potentials - physiology; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Behavioral Sciences; Biological Techniques; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain - cytology; Brain - physiology; Competition; Hebbian synapse; Humans; Learning - physiology; Models, Neurological; Neural transmission; Neurobiology; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - physiology; Neuroplasticity; Neurosciences; Physiological aspects; Reaction Time - physiology; Synapses; Synapses - physiology; Time Factors; United States; United States > US; California
• ISSN: 1097-6256; 1546-1726
• DOI: 10.1038/78829

Hebbian models of development and learning require both activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and a mechanism that induces competition between different synapses. One form of experimentally observed long-term synaptic plasticity, which we call spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), depends on the relative timing of pre- and postsynaptic action potentials. In modeling studies, we find that this form of synaptic modification can automatically balance synaptic strengths to make postsynaptic firing irregular but more sensitive to presynaptic spike timing. It has been argued that neurons in vivo operate in such a balanced regime. Synapses modifiable by STDP compete for control of the timing of postsynaptic action potentials. Inputs that fire the postsynaptic neuron with short latency or that act in correlated groups are able to compete most successfully and develop strong synapses, while synapses of longer-latency or less-effective inputs are weakened.