ADAPTIVE PATTERN-CLASSIFICATION AND UNIVERSAL RECODING .1. PARALLEL DEVELOPMENT AND CODING OF NEURAL FEATURE DETECTORS

A model for the parallel development and adult coding of neural feature detectors was analyzed. How experience can retune feature detectors to respond to a prescribed convex set of spatial patterns was shown. In particular, the detectors automatically respond to average features chosen from the set even if the average features have never been experienced. Using this procedure, any set of arbitrary spatial patterns can be recoded, or transformed, into any other spatial patterns (universal recoding), if there are sufficient cells in the network''s cortex. The network is built from short term memory (STM) and long term memory (LTM) mechanisms, including mechanisms of adaptation, filtering, contrast enhancement, tuning and nonspecific arousal. These mechanisms capture some experimental properties of plasticity in the kitten visual cortex. The model also suggests a classification of adult feature detector properties in terms of a small number of functional principles. Experiments on retinal dynamics, including amacrine cell function, were suggested.