Velocity coupling of grid modules enables stable embedding of a low dimensional variable in a high dimensional attractor
- Hebrew University, Israel
Abstract
Grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) encode position using a distributed representation across multiple neural populations (modules), each possessing a distinct spatial scale. The modular structure of the representation confers the grid cell neural code with large capacity. Yet, the modularity poses significant challenges for the neural circuitry that maintains the representation, and updates it based on self motion. Small incompatible drifts in different modules, driven by noise, can rapidly lead to large, abrupt shifts in the represented position, resulting in catastrophic readout errors. Here we propose a theoretical model of coupled modules. The coupling suppresses incompatible drifts, allowing for a stable embedding of a two dimensional variable (position) in a higher dimensional neural attractor, while preserving the large capacity. We propose that coupling of this type may be implemented by recurrent synaptic connectivity within the mEC with a relatively simple and biologically plausible structure.
Data availability
This is a theoretical work. There are no data sets associated with it.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
Israel Science Foundation (1745/18)
- Yoram Burak
Israel Science Foundation (1978/13)
- Yoram Burak
Gatsby Charitable Foundation
- Yoram Burak
Dalia and Dan Maydan Fellowship
- Noga Mosheiff
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Copyright
© 2019, Mosheiff & Burak
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Velocity coupling of grid modules enables stable embedding of a low dimensional variable in a high dimensional attractor
eLife 8:e48494.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.48494
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