Topic: noise-activated switching

In a standard model, associative memories are represented by assemblies of strongly interconnected neurons. It has recently been proposed that these assemblies are not static but drift freely in neural circuits. This explains experimental findings of changing memory representations. On the level of single neurons, assembly drift is reflected by characteristic dynamics: relatively long times of stable assembly membership interspersed with fast transitions. How can we mechanistically understand these dynamics? Here we answer this question by proposing simplified, reduced models. We first constru