Built to Last: Functional and structural mechanisms in the moth olfactory network mitigate effects of neural injury

摘要: Most organisms suffer neuronal damage throughout their lives, which can impair performance of core behaviors. Their neural circuits need to maintain function despite injury, in particular requires preserving key system outputs. In this work, we explore whether and how certain structural functional network motifs act as injury mitigation mechanisms. Specifically, examine (i) Hebbian learning, (ii) high levels noise, (iii) parallel inhibitory excitatory connections contribute the robustness olfactory Manduca sexta moth. We simulate injuries on a detailed computational model moth calibrated vivo data. The are modeled focal axonal swellings, ubiquitous form pathology observed traumatic brain other disorders. Axonal swellings effectively compromise spike train propagation along axon, reducing effective firing rate delivered downstream neurons. All three examined significantly mitigate effects readout neurons, either by injury's impact neuron responses or restoring these pre-injury levels. These may thus be partially explained value adaptive mechanisms minimize injury. More generally, is vital design principle consider when analyzing systems.