Recent studies have suggested that the cognitive process of the human brain is realized as probabilistic inference and can be further modeled by probabilistic graphical models like Markov random fields. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how probabilistic inference can be implemented by a network of spiking neurons in th…
Improved neural spike inference from calcium imaging data.
problem Neural spike inference from calcium imaging data.
method Importance weighted adversarial variational autoencoders (IWAE) with adversarial training.
result Adversarial IWAE methods outperform VAEs in inferring neural spikes.
T2FSNN improves deep SNNs by reducing spikes and latency.
problem Inefficiency in spiking neural networks due to lack of scalable training algorithms.
method Introduces time-to-first-spike coding with kernel-based dynamic threshold and dendrite, combined with gradient-based optimization and early firing methods.
result Reduces inference latency and spike count by 22% and less than 1% compared to burst coding.
As neural networks have begun performing increasingly critical tasks for society, ranging from driving cars to identifying candidates for drug development, the value of their ability to perform uncertainty quantification (UQ) in their predictions has risen commensurately. Permanent dropout, a popular method for neural …
cvHM framework speeds up GP inference for neural spike train analysis.
problem Scalability issue in approximate inference for latent GP models.
method cvHM framework using Hida-Matérn kernels and conjugate computation variational inference (CVI).
result Linear time inference for latent neural trajectories.
We develop a fast inference method for non-conjugate Gaussian process models on spike count data.
problem Non-Gaussian spike count data complicates Gaussian Process Factor Analysis.
method We introduce Polynomial Approximate Log-Likelihood (PAL) estimators for non-conjugate GPFA models.
result PAL estimators achieve fast and accurate extraction of latent structure from spike train data.
This paper introduces probabilistic SNNs for efficient neural processing.
problem Training algorithms for SNNs lag behind hardware implementations.
method Discrete-time probabilistic models and variational inference.
result Derivation of learning rules for SNNs from first principles.
Neural circuits contain heterogeneous groups of neurons that differ in type, location, connectivity, and basic response properties. However, traditional methods for dimensionality reduction and clustering are ill-suited to recovering the structure underlying the organization of neural circuits. In particular, they do n…
This research bridges binary and spiking neural networks for efficient on-chip AI.
problem Reducing compute requirements in machine learning frameworks.
method Training Spiking Neural Networks in extreme quantization regime and utilizing standard training techniques for conversion.
result Training Spiking Neural Networks in extreme quantization regime achieves near full precision accuracies.
Calcium imaging permits optical measurement of neural activity. Since intracellular calcium concentration is an indirect measurement of neural activity, computational tools are necessary to infer the true underlying spiking activity from fluorescence measurements. Bayesian model inversion can be used to solve this prob…
The apparent stochasticity of in-vivo neural circuits has long been hypothesized to represent a signature of ongoing stochastic inference in the brain. More recently, a theoretical framework for neural sampling has been proposed, which explains how sample-based inference can be performed by networks of spiking neurons.…
DIET-SNN optimizes SNNs for faster, lower-energy image classification.
problem High inference latency and inefficient input encoding in SNNs.
method End-to-end backpropagation to optimize membrane leak and firing threshold.
result Achieves top-1 accuracy of 69% on ImageNet with 5 timesteps and 12x less compute energy.
Paper proposes new Bayesian neural network models for efficient learning.
problem Efficient learning and model compression in deep neural networks.
method Proposes Spike-and-Slab Group Lasso (SS-GL) and Spike-and-Slab Group Horseshoe (SS-GHS) priors for structured sparsity in Bayesian neural networks.
result Establishes competitive performance in prediction accuracy, model compression, and inference latency compared to baseline models.
A new method improves fitting neural data with spiking network models.
problem Fitting spiking network models to neural activity does not produce realistic data.
method Augment log-likelihood with dissimilarity terms measured by summary statistics and optimized via back-propagation.
result The new method generates more realistic neural activity statistics and improves network connectivity inference.
New methods improve neural connectivity analysis at submillisecond timescales.
problem Limitations of standard spike train analysis methods in terms of temporal resolution and scalability.
method Developed Monte Carlo and polynomial approximation methods for continuous-time neural spike train analysis.
result Superior accuracy and scalability compared to traditional binned GLMs, enabling precise connectivity inference.
This paper presents a supervised learning algorithm, namely, the Synaptic Efficacy Function with Meta-neuron based learning algorithm (SEF-M) for a spiking neural network with a time-varying weight model. For a given pattern, SEF-M uses the learning algorithm derived from meta-neuron based learning algorithm to determi…
DCT-SNN uses DCT to reduce inference latency in SNNs.
problem High inference latency in SNNs.
method Proposes a time-based encoding scheme using DCT to reduce timesteps.
result Achieves top-1 accuracy comparable to standard deep learning while reducing inference latency.
A fundamental challenge in calcium imaging has been to infer the timing of action potentials from the measured noisy calcium fluorescence traces. We systematically evaluate a range of spike inference algorithms on a large benchmark dataset recorded from varying neural tissue (V1 and retina) using different calcium indi…
Mesoscopic model infers neural population dynamics from spike trains.
problem Challenges in fitting mechanistic spiking networks to empirical population data.
method Fit mesoscopic model to aggregate population activity, using likelihood of single-neuron and connectivity parameters.
result Extracts posterior correlations between model parameters and defines subsets of parameters able to reproduce data.
Method reconstructs neuron models from spike times efficiently.
problem Reconstructing neuron models from spike times in degenerate populations.
method Combining deep learning with DICs to map spike times to DIC densities and generate degenerate CBM populations.
result Fast and scalable reconstruction of degenerate populations from spike recordings.
Paper introduces a new gradient estimator for SNNs.
problem High variance in score function gradient estimator impedes SNNs training.
method Developed a differentiable point process to derive path-wise gradient estimator.
result Demonstrated effectiveness of path-wise gradient estimator through simulations.
Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) are distributed trainable systems whose computing elements, or neurons, are characterized by internal analog dynamics and by digital and sparse synaptic communications. The sparsity of the synaptic spiking inputs and the corresponding event-driven nature of neural processing can be levera…
Neuroscience is experiencing a data revolution in which many hundreds or thousands of neurons are recorded simultaneously. Currently, there is little consensus on how such data should be analyzed. Here we introduce LFADS (Latent Factor Analysis via Dynamical Systems), a method to infer latent dynamics from simultaneous…
Proposes a nonparametric approach for inferring spike train filters.
problem Modeling neuron information encoding from electrophysiological recordings.
method Gaussian process framework for joint inference of filters and hyperparameters.
result Automatic learning of filter temporal span and stimulus/history filters.
New method converts conventional ANNs to SNNs with minimal loss and efficiency.
problem Difficulty in training SNNs directly from conventional ANNs due to discreteness.
method Proposes a novel pipeline combining threshold balance and soft-reset mechanisms for efficient conversion.
result Achieves almost no accuracy loss with only 1/10 of typical SNN simulation time.
Single-spike neurons can approximate as well as multi-spike neurons.
problem Limitation of single-spike neurons in spiking neural networks.
method Comparison of single-spike and multi-spike neural networks.
result Single-spike and multi-spike neural networks are equivalent in approximation capabilities.
Study reveals efficient recovery of multi-modal signals via Bayesian methods and sequential learning.
problem Recovering multiple high-dimensional signals from correlated modalities.
method Bayesian Approximate Message Passing and Sequential Curriculum Learning.
result Sequential learning strategy optimally recovers weak signals in multi-modal settings.
We describe a novel spiking neural network (SNN) for automated, real-time handwritten digit classification and its implementation on a GP-GPU platform. Information processing within the network, from feature extraction to classification is implemented by mimicking the basic aspects of neuronal spike initiation and prop…
Paper improves neural interaction modeling using nonlinear Hawkes processes.
problem Inability of classic Hawkes process to model inhibitory interactions.
method Augmented auxiliary latent variables and EM algorithm for efficient inference.
result Demonstrates accurate and efficient estimation of neural interaction dynamics.
Modeling hidden neurons in SNNs using mesoscopic approximations.
problem Underconstrained problem of modeling unobserved neurons in SNNs.
method Coarse-graining and mean-field approximations to derive neuLVM.
result neuLVM can efficiently model large SNNs and recover connectivity parameters.
The highly variable dynamics of neocortical circuits observed in vivo have been hypothesized to represent a signature of ongoing stochastic inference but stand in apparent contrast to the deterministic response of neurons measured in vitro. Based on a propagation of the membrane autocorrelation across spike bursts, we …
Paper develops efficient variational inference for sparse deep learning with theoretical guarantees.
problem Sparse deep learning's challenge of huge storage consumption and sparse structure recovery.
method Bayesian treatment with spike-and-slab priors and continuous relaxation of Bernoulli distribution for computationally efficient variational inferences.
result Provides variational posterior contraction rate, justifying consistency of the proposed method.
New method uses surrogate gradients to train efficient spiking networks on neuromorphic hardware.
problem Training high-performing spiking networks on analog neuromorphic hardware is challenging due to device mismatch and lack of efficient algorithms.
method Introduces a general in-the-loop learning framework based on surrogate gradients.
result Learning self-corrects for device mismatch, resulting in competitive spiking network performance.
Learning weights in a spiking neural network with hidden neurons, using local, stable and online rules, to control non-linear body dynamics is an open problem. Here, we employ a supervised scheme, Feedback-based Online Local Learning Of Weights (FOLLOW), to train a network of heterogeneous spiking neurons with hidden l…
Abstract: Investigates the role of activation functions in neural networks and their physical basis.
problem Understanding the role of activation functions in neural networks and their physical basis.
method Formalizes the use of activation functions in neural inference by relating them to phase transitions in statistical physics.
result Reveals the physical justification for the performance of typical activation functions in neural networks.
Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shown great potential for numerous real-world machine learning applications, but performing inference in large CNNs in real-time remains a challenge. We have previously demonstrated that traditional CNNs can be converted into deep spiking neural networks (SNNs), which exhi…
Affine spiking neural networks learn efficiently and generalize well.
problem Learning with spiking neural networks, especially with positive weights.
method Affine encoders and decoders, continuous parameter dependence, gradient-based training.
result Affine spiking neural networks can approximate shallow ReLU networks and generalize well.
A hybrid training method reduces SNN training time and complexity.
problem Training deep SNNs is computationally expensive and time-consuming.
method Hybrid training technique combining initialization from converted SNNs and incremental spike-timing dependent backpropagation (STDB).
result The method converges in less than 20 epochs, reducing training complexity and time.
This paper improves SNN training by using multiple sample compartments.
problem Training SNNs with single-sample estimators leads to inaccurate log-likelihood estimates.
method Proposes a GEM-based online learning algorithm that uses multiple independent spiking signals.
result Significant improvements in log-likelihood, accuracy, and calibration with multiple compartments.
Paper proposes federated learning for SNNs to enable low-power, online training.
problem Limited data at each device for on-device SNN training.
method Federated Learning (FL) for cooperative SNN training, leveraging local and global feedback.
result FL-SNN achieves significant advantages over separate training and offers a flexible trade-off between accuracy and communication load.
Unified reinforcement learning and stochastic processes with action-driven processes.
problem Combining reinforcement learning and stochastic processes for efficient control.
method Action-driven processes, leveraging control-as-inference, and minimizing Kullback-Leibler divergence.
result Action-driven processes unify reinforcement learning and stochastic processes, equivalent to maximum entropy reinforcement learning.
Model detects patterns in noisy binary data, explaining neuron activity in terms of cell assemblies.
problem Detecting structure in noisy or approximate repeats of patterns in sparse binary data.
method Probabilistic binary latent variable model based on Noisy-OR model, inferring sparse activity in latent variables.
result Model successfully extracts and explains latent structure in spiking neural data.
Third-generation neural networks, or Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs), aim at harnessing the energy efficiency of spike-domain processing by building on computing elements that operate on, and exchange, spikes. In this paper, the problem of training a two-layer SNN is studied for the purpose of classification, under a Ge…
When governed by underlying low-dimensional dynamics, the interdependence of simultaneously recorded population of neurons can be explained by a small number of shared factors, or a low-dimensional trajectory. Recovering these latent trajectories, particularly from single-trial population recordings, may help us unders…
Much of studies on neural computation are based on network models of static neurons that produce analog output, despite the fact that information processing in the brain is predominantly carried out by dynamic neurons that produce discrete pulses called spikes. Research in spike-based computation has been impeded by th…
SNNs can represent complex functions efficiently.
problem Understanding the representational power of SNNs.
method Viewed as sequence-to-sequence processors, analyzed using spike train functions.
result SNNs have the universal representation property for certain functions.
Neurons perform computations, and convey the results of those computations through the statistical structure of their output spike trains. Here we present a practical method, grounded in the information-theoretic analysis of prediction, for inferring a minimal representation of that structure and for characterizing its…
Unified framework models neural decision-making, improving accuracy.
problem Limitations in modeling neural activity during decision-making.
method Unifying framework based on state-space models with scalable inference.
result Two-dimensional accumulator better captures neural responses.