Should ANN be ANGN?

  • J. G. Wallace
  • K. Bluff
Neuroscience
First Online:
Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNCS, volume 930)

Abstract

The neural network paradigms currently dominant in ANN derive their biological inspiration entirely from natural neural computation. Inspiration for new and modified paradigms can be derived by extending consideration to glial cells and, in particular, astrocytes. Astrocytes appear to possess a type of intracellular calcium dynamics which provides a basis of excitability for signaling between them. This raises the possibility that astrocytic networks engage in information processing with very different temporal and spatial characteristics from neuronal signaling. Drawing on a wide range of glial experimental evidence a mechanism is described enabling astrocytes to interact with neurons in a fashion which greatly enhances the effectiveness of long term synaptic facilitation. The potential of this mechanism is illustrated in relation to a range of current research issues in natural and artificial neural networks.

Keywords

Synaptic Facilitation Retrograde Messenger Endothelial Cell Blood Vessel Modify Paradigm Biological Inspiration 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1995

Authors and Affiliations

  • J. G. Wallace
    • 1
  • K. Bluff
    • 2
  1. 1.Information Technology InstituteSwinburne University of TechnologyHawthornAustralia
  2. 2.Department of Computer ScienceSwinburne University of TechnologyHawthornAustralia

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