Project description
New model to show how working memory ... works
Important for reasoning, learning and comprehension, working memory (WM) is a short-term limited capacity store. Without it, remembering information for a brief period would be impossible. Examples of WM include holding in mind a person’s address while listening to instructions about how to get there or remembering and responding to information that was relayed during a conversation. What is not well known is how primates can use their WM in a generalised way and control what they think about. The EU-funded Hot-Coal WM project will shed light on these cognitive functions by applying a model that relies on a novel computational principle – specifically, that spatial location of information is controlled by excitatory bursts to support cognition.
Objective
Working memory (WM) is a fundamental cognitive capability. It refers to our ability to hold, select and manipulate several objects in mind simultaneously. It allows us to engage in flexible behavior and is tightly linked to fluid intelligence. This project will answer an essential, yet unsolved aspect of WM: How can primates use their WM in a generalized way and control what they think about? If you hear apple, stone and pear in sequence, and then you are asked to imagine the first fruit, how is it that you do not confuse apples with pears?
There are many competing models of WM, but no biologically detailed models are capable of generalization. Neural networks can be trained to perform similar WM tasks as primates do, a major difference is that primates generalize their training. They can learn the task on a set of objects, then perform it on a novel set. Computational models typically rely on changing the connections between units to achieve the desired activity patterns to solve the task. Since these activity patterns depend on the objects held in WM, the training does not translate to novel objects.
I propose a new solution to this problem, the Hot-Coal model of WM. It relies on a novel computational principle in which spatial location of information, rather than connectivity, is controlled by excitatory bursts to support cognition. I will explore this principle and test it in data. Preliminary tests suggest that the Hot-Coal theory is supported by electrophysiological data from primates. By implementing the theory in computational networks I aim to demonstrate the generalization mechanism and provide more detailed predictions. Finally, I will use the theory to resolve seemingly conflicting findings regarding the mechanisms underlying WM, by reproducing them in a single model. The new theory could constitute a significant advance in the mechanistic understanding of one of the most central and puzzling components of cognition.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy primatology
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture fruit growing
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
171 77 STOCKHOLM
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.