Skip to main content
Journal cover image

What can we learn from synaptic weight distributions?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Barbour, B; Brunel, N; Hakim, V; Nadal, J-P
Published in: Trends Neurosci
December 2007

Much research effort into synaptic plasticity has been motivated by the idea that modifications of synaptic weights (or strengths or efficacies) underlie learning and memory. Here, we examine the possibility of exploiting the statistics of experimentally measured synaptic weights to deduce information about the learning process. Analysing distributions of synaptic weights requires a theoretical framework to interpret the experimental measurements, but the results can be unexpectedly powerful, yielding strong constraints on possible learning theories as well as information that is difficult to obtain by other means, such as the information storage capacity of a cell. We review the available experimental and theoretical techniques as well as important open issues.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Trends Neurosci

DOI

ISSN

0166-2236

Publication Date

December 2007

Volume

30

Issue

12

Start / End Page

622 / 629

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Synapses
  • Neurons
  • Neuronal Plasticity
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Memory
  • Learning
  • Humans
  • Brain
  • Animals
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Barbour, B., Brunel, N., Hakim, V., & Nadal, J.-P. (2007). What can we learn from synaptic weight distributions? Trends Neurosci, 30(12), 622–629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2007.09.005
Barbour, Boris, Nicolas Brunel, Vincent Hakim, and Jean-Pierre Nadal. “What can we learn from synaptic weight distributions?Trends Neurosci 30, no. 12 (December 2007): 622–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2007.09.005.
Barbour B, Brunel N, Hakim V, Nadal J-P. What can we learn from synaptic weight distributions? Trends Neurosci. 2007 Dec;30(12):622–9.
Barbour, Boris, et al. “What can we learn from synaptic weight distributions?Trends Neurosci, vol. 30, no. 12, Dec. 2007, pp. 622–29. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.tins.2007.09.005.
Barbour B, Brunel N, Hakim V, Nadal J-P. What can we learn from synaptic weight distributions? Trends Neurosci. 2007 Dec;30(12):622–629.
Journal cover image

Published In

Trends Neurosci

DOI

ISSN

0166-2236

Publication Date

December 2007

Volume

30

Issue

12

Start / End Page

622 / 629

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Synapses
  • Neurons
  • Neuronal Plasticity
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Memory
  • Learning
  • Humans
  • Brain
  • Animals
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology