Getting to the bottom of understanding how our brains work is a
fascinating challenge for scientists, and new research promises to shed more
light on the inner workings of our minds - through a complex mathematics model.
Scientists in the UK say they've constructed ‘the first biologically realistic
mathematical model’ that matches the way the brain makes complex decisions. Not
only can this model predict behaviour, it's also capable of predicting actual
neural activity too. It simulates the way the human mind goes through the
decision-making process, as well as the ways in which we learn from our
mistakes and adapt for the future. The team's findings could eventually help us
in better understanding a multitude of conditions, from obsessive compulsive
disorder to Parkinson's disease.
The intricate mathematical algorithm written by the researchers was
compared to experimental data and accurately captured behavioural choice
probabilities as well as predicting choice reversal. The model shows how a
network of neurons, when connected in a certain way, identifies the best
decision in any given situation, as well as the future cumulative reward. Significantly,
the model also demonstrates how synapses can adapt and reshape themselves
depending on what has or hasn't worked in the past - this is the same behaviour
we see in humans and animals every day. The researchers found that in
goal-based decision-making, synapses connecting the neurons together 'embed'
the knowledge of how situations follow on from one another, depending on the
actions chosen and the immediate rewards.
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