"How does the structure of a network affect its function? We address this question in the context of two olfactory systems that serve the same function, to distinguish the attributes of different odorants, but do so using markedly distinct architectures. In the locust, the probability of connections between projection neurons and Kenyon cells - a layer downstream - is nearly 50%. In contrast, this number is merely 5% in drosophila. We developed computational models of these networks to understand the relative advantages of each connectivity. Our analysis reveals that the two systems exist along a continuum of possibilities that balance two conflicting goals – separating the representations of similar odors while grouping together noisy variants of the same odor."
Model Type: Connectionist Network
Model Concept(s): Activity Patterns
Simulation Environment: MATLAB
Implementer(s): Rajagopalan, Adithya [adiraj95 at gmail.com]
References:
Rajagopalan A, Assisi C. (2020). Effect of circuit structure on odor representation in the insect olfactory system. eNeuro. 7 [PubMed]