Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity: A Comprehensive Overview

With STDP, a neuron embedded in a neuronal network can determine which neighboring neurons are worth listening to by potentiating those inputs that predict its own spiking activity. However, the neuron in question pays less attention to those neighboring neurons that fail to do this. In other words, the neuron pays less attention to neighbors speaking gibberish. The net result is that our sample neuron can integrate inputs with predictive power and transform this is into a meaningful predictive output, even though the meaning itself is not strictly known by the neuron. In STDP we thus have a very simple and elegant algorithm for appropriately hooking up neurons in the brain. Little wonder that there has been so much excitement surrounding the discovery of STDP.