scholarly journals Recurrent neural circuits overcome partial inactivation by compensation and re-learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin J Bredenberg ◽  
Cristina Savin ◽  
Roozbeh Kiani
Keyword(s):  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Network Architectures ◽  
Distributed Network ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Training Time ◽  
Technical Advances ◽  
Partial Inactivation ◽  
Complex Circuits ◽  
And Behavior

Technical advances in artificial manipulation of neural activity have precipitated a surge in studying the causal contribution of brain circuits to cognition and behavior. However, complexities of neural circuits challenge interpretation of experimental results, necessitating theoretical frameworks for systematic explorations. Here, we take a step in this direction, using, as a testbed, recurrent neural networks trained to perform a perceptual decision. We show that understanding the computations implemented by network dynamics enables predicting the magnitude of perturbation effects based on changes in the network's phase plane. Inactivation effects are weaker for distributed network architectures, are more easily discovered with non-discrete behavioral readouts (e.g., reaction times), and vary considerably across multiple tasks implemented by the same circuit. Finally, networks that can "learn" during inactivation recover function quickly, often much faster than the original training time. Our framework explains past empirical observations by clarifying how complex circuits compensate and adapt to perturbations.

scholarly journals Structured dynamics of neural activity across developing neocortex

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
James B Ackman ◽  
Hongkui Zeng ◽  
Michael C Crair
Keyword(s):  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Network Architectures ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Developing Neocortex ◽  
Discrete Domains ◽  
Sensory Evoked ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Neuroimaging Techniques

The cerebral cortex exhibits spontaneous and sensory evoked patterns of activity during early development that is vital for the formation and refinement of neural circuits. Identifying the source and flow of this activity locally and globally is critical for understanding principles guiding self-organization in the developing brain. Here we use whole brain transcranial optical imaging at high spatial and temporal resolution to demonstrate that dynamical patterns of neuronal activity in developing mouse neocortex consist of spatially discrete domains that are coordinated in an age, areal, and behavior- dependent fashion. Ongoing cortical activity displays mirror-symmetric activation patterns across the cerebral hemispheres and stereotyped network architectures that are shaped during development, with parietal-sensorimotor subnetworks functionally connected to occipital regions through frontal-medial cortical areas. This study provides the first broad description of population activity in the developing neocortex at a scope and scale that bridges the microscopic and macroscopic spatiotemporal resolutions provided by traditional neurophysiological and functional neuroimaging techniques. Mesoscale maps of cortical population dynamics within animal models will be crucial for future efforts to understand and treat neurodevelopmental disorders.

Gang Research in the Twenty-First Century

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caylin Louis Moore ◽  
Forrest Stuart
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Criminological Theory ◽  
First Century ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
State Interventions ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Analytical Approaches

For nearly a century, gang scholarship has remained foundational to criminological theory and method. Twenty-first-century scholarship continues to refine and, in some cases, supplant long-held axioms about gang formation, organization, and behavior. Recent advances can be traced to shifts in the empirical social reality and conditions within which gangs exist and act. We draw out this relationship—between the ontological and epistemological—by identifying key macrostructural shifts that have transformed gang composition and behavior and, in turn, forced scholars to revise dominant theoretical frameworks and analytical approaches. These shifts include large-scale economic transformations, the expansion of punitive state interventions, the proliferation of the Internet and social media, intensified globalization, and the increasing presence of women and LGBTQ individuals in gangs and gang research. By introducing historically unprecedented conditions and actors, these developments provide novel opportunities to reconsider previous analyses of gang structure, violence, and other related objects of inquiry. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Criminology, Volume 5 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The neuroscience of learning and memory: cells, neural circuits and behavior

1988 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 125-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G.M. Morris ◽  
Eric R. Kandel ◽  
Larry R. Squire
Keyword(s):  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Memory Cells ◽  
And Behavior

Theories in Futures Studies: Examining the Theory Base of the Futures Field in Light of Survey Results

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Minkkinen
Keyword(s):  
Research Centre ◽  
Futures Studies ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Theory Base

This review article opens discussion on theories in futures studies by analyzing survey results from Finland Futures Research Centre and using the results as an entry point to discussing theoretical lineages found in the literature. The survey, conducted in 2019, included twenty-four responses from researchers and postgraduate students. Altogether 192 different theories or theoretical frameworks were identified. Social science theories and conceptual frameworks were particularly prevalent in the responses, and the most common recurring themes included systems, complexity, and anticipation. The responses are discussed in terms of three levels: philosophy of science, theories of futures studies, and theories in futures studies. Theories in futures studies are further divided into theories of action, practices, and behavior; theories of change; and theories on the micro-, meso-, and macro levels. The results are contextualized and complemented by proposing five functionally differentiated theoretical approaches: (1) theories for forecasting, (2) theories for representing futures, (3) theories for pursuing desired futures, (4) theories for making sense of anticipatory processes, and (5) radical epistemological critiques. The analysis is intended to open discussion on theories rather than provide an exhaustive list of the most important theories. Nevertheless, we can conclude that the field has a rich theory base which could be emphasized in futures education and developed further. It is crucial that actors in the futures field are aware of the theories that guide them because influential theories take part in making the future.

scholarly journals The care and keeping of clinicians in quality improvement

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 480-485
Author(s):  
Ulfat Shaikh ◽  
Peter Lachman ◽  
Andrew J Padovani ◽  
SiobhÁn E McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Training Time ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Personal Strengths ◽  
Quality In Healthcare

Abstract Objective Although frontline clinicians are crucial in implementing and spreading innovations, their engagement in quality improvement remains suboptimal. Our goal was to identify facilitators and barriers to the development and engagement of clinicians in quality improvement. Design A 25-item questionnaire informed by theoretical frameworks was developed, tested and disseminated by email. Settings Members and fellows of the International Society for Quality in Healthcare. Participants 1010 eligible participants (380 fellows and 647 members). Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Self-efficacy and effectiveness in conducting and leading quality improvement activities. Results We received 212 responses from 50 countries, a response rate of 21%. Dedicated time for quality improvement, mentorship and coaching and a professional quality improvement network were significantly related to higher self-efficacy. Factors enhancing effectiveness were dedicated time for quality improvement, multidisciplinary improvement teams, professional development in quality improvement, ability to select areas for improvement and organizational values and culture. Inadequate time, mentorship, organizational support and access to professional development resources were key barriers. Personal strengths contributing to effectiveness were the ability to identify problems that need to be fixed, reflecting on and learning from experiences and facilitating sharing of ideas. Key quality improvement implementation challenges were adopting new payment models, demonstrating the business case for quality and safety and building a culture of accountability and transparency. Conclusions Our findings highlight areas that organizations and professional development programs should focus on to promote clinician development and engagement in quality improvement. Barriers related to training, time, mentorship, organizational support and implementation must be concurrently addressed to augment the effectiveness of other approaches.

Charney & Nestler's Neurobiology of Mental Illness

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Disease Etiology ◽  
Complex Genetics ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Technical Advances ◽  
Section Viii ◽  
New Treatments ◽  
And Behavior

In the years following publication of the DSM-5, the field of psychiatry has seen vigorous debate between the DSM’s more traditional, diagnosis-oriented approach and the NIMH’s more biological, dimension-based RDoC approach. Charney & Nestler’s Neurobiology of Mental Illness is an authoritative foundation for translating information from the laboratory to clinical treatment, and this edition extends beyond its reference function to acknowledge and examine the controversies and thoughts on the future of psychiatric diagnosis. In this wider context, this book provides information from numerous levels of analysis including molecular biology and genetics, cellular physiology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, epidemiology, and behavior. Section I, which reviews the methods used to examine the biological basis of mental illness in animal and cell models and in humans, has been expanded to reflect important technical advances in complex genetics, epigenetics, stem cell biology, optogenetics, neural circuit functioning, cognitive neuroscience, and brain imaging. These established and emerging methodologies offer groundbreaking advances in our ability to study the brain and breakthroughs in our therapeutic toolkit. Sections II through VII cover the neurobiology and genetics of major psychiatric disorders: psychoses, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, dementias, and disorders of childhood onset. Also covered within these sections is a summary of current therapeutic approaches for these illnesses as well as the ways in which research advances are now guiding the search for new treatments. The last section, Section VIII, focuses on diagnostic schemes for mental illness. This includes an overview of the unique challenges that remain in diagnosing these disorders given our still limited knowledge of disease etiology and pathophysiology. The section then provides reviews of DSM-5 and RDoC. Also included are chapters on future efforts toward precision and computational psychiatry, which promise to someday align diagnosis with underlying biological abnormalities.

scholarly journals Neural and Hormonal Control of Sexual Behavior

Endocrinology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 161 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly J Jennings ◽  
Luis de Lecea
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Sexual Motivation ◽  
Gonadal Hormones ◽  
Hormonal Control ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Neural Patterning ◽  
Ideal System ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior

Abstract Gonadal hormones contribute to the sexual differentiation of brain and behavior throughout the lifespan, from initial neural patterning to “activation” of adult circuits. Sexual behavior is an ideal system in which to investigate the mechanisms underlying hormonal activation of neural circuits. Sexual behavior is a hormonally regulated, innate social behavior found across species. Although both sexes seek out and engage in sexual behavior, the specific actions involved in mating are sexually dimorphic. Thus, the neural circuits mediating sexual motivation and behavior in males and females are overlapping yet distinct. Furthermore, sexual behavior is strongly dependent on circulating gonadal hormones in both sexes. There has been significant recent progress on elucidating how gonadal hormones modulate physiological properties within sexual behavior circuits with consequences for behavior. Therefore, in this mini-review we review the neural circuits of male and female sexual motivation and behavior, from initial sensory detection of pheromones to the extended amygdala and on to medial hypothalamic nuclei and reward systems. We also discuss how gonadal hormones impact the physiology and functioning of each node within these circuits. By better understanding the myriad of ways in which gonadal hormones impact sexual behavior circuits, we can gain a richer and more complete appreciation for the neural substrates of complex behavior.

Citizen Now

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth C. Matto
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Youth Engagement ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Comprehensive Description ◽  
Original Analysis ◽  
Unique Approach ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Economic Well Being

Citizen now offers a comprehensive description of the composition and behavior of the Millennial Generation, an explanation and critique of the study of youth engagement, and a unique approach and methodology for appreciating how and why “citizen now” engages in politics and democracy. The text provides readers with a complete picture of the demographics and participation of Millennials and, through original analysis of newspaper content, a depiction of the frame through which the generation has been viewed. Although Millennials have been the object of much study and despite the despite the fairly common approach and methodology utilized by scholars, contrasting theoretical frameworks have limited our appreciation of their connection to politics. Unlike much of the research in this field, Citizen now considers youth political participation from the perspective of young adults themselves – specifically, young adults who’ve organized around an issue of great concern to Millennials, their economic well-being. By focusing not only on the generation’s actions but on the strategies and goals of these youth-led groups, the text offers both a path for future research and practical guidance on how to engage “citizen now” in politics and democracy.

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