The brain's ability to flexibly switch sensorimotor behaviors across temporal and spatial scales is a fundamental yet poorly understood feature. In this computational work, we propose for the first time that neuromodulation of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) serves as a unified, biologically plausible mechanism to regulate these scales. They innovatively incorporated STP mechanisms into a recurrent neural network framework (A). The model demonstrated precise regulation of output trajectory speed (temporal scale) and magnitude (spatial scale) (B).
The study also validated the applicability of neuromodulated STP in temporal perception. In sensory timing research, optogenetic upregulation of dopamine in rats was shown to slow time perception—mirroring a common phenomenon in daily life: humans perceive time as passing faster during pleasurable experiences because the brain perceives time as slower than the external physical passage of time. To test whether STP could explain this, we replicated these experimental findings in their model, demonstrating that neuromodulated STP may underlie dopamine's role in temporal perception (C-E).
Related paper:
Zhou, S., & Buonomano, D. V. (2024). Unified control of temporal and spatial scales of sensorimotor behavior through neuromodulation of short-term synaptic plasticity. Science Advances.
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