Modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractor
Entorhinal grid cells implement a spatial code with hexagonal periodicity, signaling the position of the animal within an environment. Grid maps of cells belonging to the same module share spacing and orientation, only differing in relative two-dimensional spatial phase, which could result from bein...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2024-12-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/89851 |
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| _version_ | 1846140316259713024 |
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| author | Sabrina Benas Ximena Fernandez Emilio Kropff |
| author_facet | Sabrina Benas Ximena Fernandez Emilio Kropff |
| author_sort | Sabrina Benas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Entorhinal grid cells implement a spatial code with hexagonal periodicity, signaling the position of the animal within an environment. Grid maps of cells belonging to the same module share spacing and orientation, only differing in relative two-dimensional spatial phase, which could result from being part of a two-dimensional attractor guided by path integration. However, this architecture has the drawbacks of being complex to construct and rigid, path integration allowing for no deviations from the hexagonal pattern such as the ones observed under a variety of experimental manipulations. Here, we show that a simpler one-dimensional attractor is enough to align grid cells equally well. Using topological data analysis, we show that the resulting population activity is a sample of a torus, while the ensemble of maps preserves features of the network architecture. The flexibility of this low dimensional attractor allows it to negotiate the geometry of the representation manifold with the feedforward inputs, rather than imposing it. More generally, our results represent a proof of principle against the intuition that the architecture and the representation manifold of an attractor are topological objects of the same dimensionality, with implications to the study of attractor networks across the brain. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fc0e13c9d40d44b98e7ed91051d90bb5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj-art-fc0e13c9d40d44b98e7ed91051d90bb52024-12-05T15:50:08ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2024-12-011210.7554/eLife.89851Modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractorSabrina Benas0Ximena Fernandez1Emilio Kropff2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5996-8436Leloir Institute – IIBBA/CONICET, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDepartment of Mathematics, Durham University, Durham, United KingdomLeloir Institute – IIBBA/CONICET, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaEntorhinal grid cells implement a spatial code with hexagonal periodicity, signaling the position of the animal within an environment. Grid maps of cells belonging to the same module share spacing and orientation, only differing in relative two-dimensional spatial phase, which could result from being part of a two-dimensional attractor guided by path integration. However, this architecture has the drawbacks of being complex to construct and rigid, path integration allowing for no deviations from the hexagonal pattern such as the ones observed under a variety of experimental manipulations. Here, we show that a simpler one-dimensional attractor is enough to align grid cells equally well. Using topological data analysis, we show that the resulting population activity is a sample of a torus, while the ensemble of maps preserves features of the network architecture. The flexibility of this low dimensional attractor allows it to negotiate the geometry of the representation manifold with the feedforward inputs, rather than imposing it. More generally, our results represent a proof of principle against the intuition that the architecture and the representation manifold of an attractor are topological objects of the same dimensionality, with implications to the study of attractor networks across the brain.https://elifesciences.org/articles/89851grid cellscontinuous attractorself organizationtopology |
| spellingShingle | Sabrina Benas Ximena Fernandez Emilio Kropff Modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractor eLife grid cells continuous attractor self organization topology |
| title | Modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractor |
| title_full | Modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractor |
| title_fullStr | Modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractor |
| title_short | Modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractor |
| title_sort | modeled grid cells aligned by a flexible attractor |
| topic | grid cells continuous attractor self organization topology |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/89851 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sabrinabenas modeledgridcellsalignedbyaflexibleattractor AT ximenafernandez modeledgridcellsalignedbyaflexibleattractor AT emiliokropff modeledgridcellsalignedbyaflexibleattractor |