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Decision-making neural circuits mediating social behaviors

An attractor network model

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Abstract

We propose a mathematical model of a continuous attractor network that controls social behaviors. The model is examined with bifurcation analysis and computer simulations. The results show that the model exhibits stable steady states and thresholds for steady state transitions corresponding to some experimentally observed behaviors, such as aggression control. The performance of the model and the relation with experimental evidence are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to professor David J. Anderson and Ann Kennedy for valuable discussions. JHL and DFR acknowledge the support of Universidad Autónoma de Occidente. JHL acknowledges the support from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Cll 25 No. 115-85 Km 2 vía Cali-Jamundí, 760030, Cali, Colombia

    Julián Hurtado-López

  2. Department of Physics, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Cali, Colombia

    David F. Ramirez-Moreno

  3. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA

    Terrence J. Sejnowski

Authors
  1. Julián Hurtado-López
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  2. David F. Ramirez-Moreno
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  3. Terrence J. Sejnowski
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Correspondence to Julián Hurtado-López.

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Hurtado-López, J., Ramirez-Moreno, D.F. & Sejnowski, T.J. Decision-making neural circuits mediating social behaviors. J Comput Neurosci 43, 127–142 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10827-017-0654-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10827-017-0654-8

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