Recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning.

The computational principles adopted by the hippocampus in associative memory (AM) tasks have been one of the most studied topics in computational and theoretical neuroscience. Recent theories suggested that AM and the predictive activities of the hippocampus could be described within a unitary acco...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mufeng Tang, Tommaso Salvatori, Beren Millidge, Yuhang Song, Thomas Lukasiewicz, Rafal Bogacz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-04-01
Series:PLoS Computational Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010719
_version_ 1797831679087214592
author Mufeng Tang
Tommaso Salvatori
Beren Millidge
Yuhang Song
Thomas Lukasiewicz
Rafal Bogacz
author_facet Mufeng Tang
Tommaso Salvatori
Beren Millidge
Yuhang Song
Thomas Lukasiewicz
Rafal Bogacz
author_sort Mufeng Tang
collection DOAJ
description The computational principles adopted by the hippocampus in associative memory (AM) tasks have been one of the most studied topics in computational and theoretical neuroscience. Recent theories suggested that AM and the predictive activities of the hippocampus could be described within a unitary account, and that predictive coding underlies the computations supporting AM in the hippocampus. Following this theory, a computational model based on classical hierarchical predictive networks was proposed and was shown to perform well in various AM tasks. However, this fully hierarchical model did not incorporate recurrent connections, an architectural component of the CA3 region of the hippocampus that is crucial for AM. This makes the structure of the model inconsistent with the known connectivity of CA3 and classical recurrent models such as Hopfield Networks, which learn the covariance of inputs through their recurrent connections to perform AM. Earlier PC models that learn the covariance information of inputs explicitly via recurrent connections seem to be a solution to these issues. Here, we show that although these models can perform AM, they do it in an implausible and numerically unstable way. Instead, we propose alternatives to these earlier covariance-learning predictive coding networks, which learn the covariance information implicitly and plausibly, and can use dendritic structures to encode prediction errors. We show analytically that our proposed models are perfectly equivalent to the earlier predictive coding model learning covariance explicitly, and encounter no numerical issues when performing AM tasks in practice. We further show that our models can be combined with hierarchical predictive coding networks to model the hippocampo-neocortical interactions. Our models provide a biologically plausible approach to modelling the hippocampal network, pointing to a potential computational mechanism during hippocampal memory formation and recall, which employs both predictive coding and covariance learning based on the recurrent network structure of the hippocampus.
first_indexed 2024-04-09T13:55:41Z
format Article
id doaj.art-5b1279552e3d47a79088c231a52f2ace
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1553-734X
1553-7358
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-09T13:55:41Z
publishDate 2023-04-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Computational Biology
spelling doaj.art-5b1279552e3d47a79088c231a52f2ace2023-05-08T05:31:15ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Computational Biology1553-734X1553-73582023-04-01194e101071910.1371/journal.pcbi.1010719Recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning.Mufeng TangTommaso SalvatoriBeren MillidgeYuhang SongThomas LukasiewiczRafal BogaczThe computational principles adopted by the hippocampus in associative memory (AM) tasks have been one of the most studied topics in computational and theoretical neuroscience. Recent theories suggested that AM and the predictive activities of the hippocampus could be described within a unitary account, and that predictive coding underlies the computations supporting AM in the hippocampus. Following this theory, a computational model based on classical hierarchical predictive networks was proposed and was shown to perform well in various AM tasks. However, this fully hierarchical model did not incorporate recurrent connections, an architectural component of the CA3 region of the hippocampus that is crucial for AM. This makes the structure of the model inconsistent with the known connectivity of CA3 and classical recurrent models such as Hopfield Networks, which learn the covariance of inputs through their recurrent connections to perform AM. Earlier PC models that learn the covariance information of inputs explicitly via recurrent connections seem to be a solution to these issues. Here, we show that although these models can perform AM, they do it in an implausible and numerically unstable way. Instead, we propose alternatives to these earlier covariance-learning predictive coding networks, which learn the covariance information implicitly and plausibly, and can use dendritic structures to encode prediction errors. We show analytically that our proposed models are perfectly equivalent to the earlier predictive coding model learning covariance explicitly, and encounter no numerical issues when performing AM tasks in practice. We further show that our models can be combined with hierarchical predictive coding networks to model the hippocampo-neocortical interactions. Our models provide a biologically plausible approach to modelling the hippocampal network, pointing to a potential computational mechanism during hippocampal memory formation and recall, which employs both predictive coding and covariance learning based on the recurrent network structure of the hippocampus.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010719
spellingShingle Mufeng Tang
Tommaso Salvatori
Beren Millidge
Yuhang Song
Thomas Lukasiewicz
Rafal Bogacz
Recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning.
PLoS Computational Biology
title Recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning.
title_full Recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning.
title_fullStr Recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning.
title_full_unstemmed Recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning.
title_short Recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning.
title_sort recurrent predictive coding models for associative memory employing covariance learning
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010719
work_keys_str_mv AT mufengtang recurrentpredictivecodingmodelsforassociativememoryemployingcovariancelearning
AT tommasosalvatori recurrentpredictivecodingmodelsforassociativememoryemployingcovariancelearning
AT berenmillidge recurrentpredictivecodingmodelsforassociativememoryemployingcovariancelearning
AT yuhangsong recurrentpredictivecodingmodelsforassociativememoryemployingcovariancelearning
AT thomaslukasiewicz recurrentpredictivecodingmodelsforassociativememoryemployingcovariancelearning
AT rafalbogacz recurrentpredictivecodingmodelsforassociativememoryemployingcovariancelearning