Place-cell capacity and volatility with grid-like inputs

• Main Authors: Yim, Man Yi (Author), Sadun, Lorenzo A (Author), Fiete, Ila R (Author), Taillefumier, Thibaud (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, 2021-11-23T18:29:35Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 <jats:p>What factors constrain the arrangement of the multiple fields of a place cell? By modeling place cells as perceptrons that act on multiscale periodic grid-cell inputs, we analytically enumerate a place cell's <jats:italic>repertoire</jats:italic> - how many field arrangements it can realize without external cues while its grid inputs are unique - and derive its <jats:italic>capacity</jats:italic> - the spatial range over which it can achieve any field arrangement. We show that the repertoire is very large and relatively noise-robust. However, the repertoire is a vanishing fraction of all arrangements, while capacity scales only as the sum of the grid periods so field arrangements are constrained over larger distances. Thus, grid-driven place field arrangements define a large response scaffold that is strongly constrained by its structured inputs. Finally, we show that altering grid-place weights to generate an arbitrary new place field strongly affects existing arrangements, which could explain the volatility of the place code.</jats:p>