Brain Power Mind. Image credit: NoPixelZone (CC0)
The networks of nerve cells that make up the brain are complex and versatile. They enable the information processing necessary for both simple and complex thought processes. But, the organization of nerve networks in the brain is a topic of great debate among scientists.
One idea is that nerve cell networks in the brain are organized to be as efficient as possible at transmitting information. Scientists supporting this idea say it allows the brain to send accurate information using as little energy as possible.
Scientists have developed mathematical models to explain how this efficient coding model of brain activity works. But how accurately these mathematical models capture complex brain tasks is up for debate. Some question how well these models explain how the brain makes sense of sensory information like sights or smells. Are they able to explain nerve cell organization or how nerve cells react to new information or experiences? Scientists also question how well the mathematical models capture biological and physical constraints on nerve cell activity.
To answer these questions, Koren et al. used mathematical models to systematically test whether the efficient coding model was consistent with what happens in realistic circumstances. The experiments show that mathematical models of efficient coding are consistent with actual brain cell behavior, organization and interconnections. The models also reflected the cells’ biological and physical constraints.
The experiments support the idea that brain networks are designed for efficiency. But the models used in the study are too simple to assess the full range and complexity of information processing in the brain. More studies are needed to test more complex mathematical models that better recreate more advanced brain activities. Further study of the biological and physical constraints on nerve cells in the brain may shed more light on how they behave in brain networks.
