Memory Models: The many levels of learning in the brain

NEURO 101MM Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Learning and memory are central to intelligent systems and have been studied in a myriad of model organisms for the past century. While classical biological and artificial models of learning and memory traditionally emphasize synaptic plasticity as the primary mechanism for memory update and storage, this framework cannot account for all memory phenomena, particularly those observed in single-celled organisms that lack synapses entirely. This course explores foundational theories of learning and memory in biological and artificial systems alongside alternative contemporary theories. We will explore computational models and experimental evidence across diverse memory systems, including cellular learning mechanisms, intracellular memory processes within multicellular organisms, network-wide synaptic modulation, and memory architectures in artificial neural networks.