Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter VI
Recent Methodology in
Connectionist Systems
Ana B. Porto Pazos
University of A Coruña, Spain
Alberto Alvarellos González
University of A Coruña, Spain
Alejandro Pazos Sierra
University of A Coruña, Spain
AbSTRACT
The Artificial NeuroGlial Networks, which try to imitate the neuroglial brain networks, appeared in order
to process the information by means of artificial systems based on biological phenomena. They are not
only made of artificial neurons, like the artificial neural networks, but also they are made of elements
which try to imitate glial cells. An important glial role related with the processing of the brain informa-
tion has been recently discovered but, as the functioning of the biological neuroglial networks is not
exactly known, it is necessary to test several and different possibilities for creating Artificial NeuroGlial
Networks. This chapter shows the functioning methodology of the Artificial NeuroGlial Networks and
the application of a possible implementation of artificial glia to classification problems.
INTRODUCTION
advanced remarkably, and increasingly complex
neural circuits, as well as the Glial System, are
being observed closely. New discoveries are now
unveiling that the glia is intimately linked to the
active control of neural activity and takes part
in the regulation of synaptic neurotransmission
(Perea & Araque, 2005). In that case, it may be
useful to integrate into the artificial models other
elements that are not neurons.
Recently Connectionist Systems (CSs) which pre-
tend to imitate the neuroglial nets of the brain were
built. These systems were named Artificial Neu-
roGlial Networks (ANGNs) (Porto, 2004). These
ANGNs are not only made of neuron, but also from
elements which imitate the astrocytes of the Glial
System. During the last decades Neuroscience has
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