Intracellular Message Chains

Abstract

A neuron receives large numbers of input stimuli from other neurons and generates an output action potential in response to those inputs. In order to preserve past learning the integration algorithm that determines outputs from inputs must be relatively stable, but to implement short term or longer term learning it must be changeable on various timescales. Hence the algorithm and changes to the algorithm must be tightly controlled. There are two general types of change that can be made. One is change to individual synaptic weights, the other is change to the algorithm that determines the way in which the individual weights of currently active synapses are integrated.