Dendrites and efficiency: Optimizing performance and resource utilization

Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2023 Nov 17;83:102812. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102812. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe brain is a highly efficient system that has evolved to optimize performance under limited resources. In this review, we highlight recent theoretical and experimental studies that support the view that dendrites make information processing and storage in the brain more efficient. This is achieved through the dynamic modulation of integration versus segregation of inputs and activity within a neuron. We argue that under conditions of limited energy and space, dendrites help biological networks to implement complex functions such as processing natural stimuli on behavioral timescales, performing the inference process on those stimuli in a context-specific manner, and storing the information in overlapping populations of neurons. A global picture starts to emerge, in which dendrites help the brain achieve efficiency through a combination of optimization strategies that balance the tradeoff between performance and resource utilization.PMID:37980803 | DOI:10.1016/j.conb.2023.102812

Source: Current Opinion in Neurobiology - November 19, 2023 Category: Neurology Authors: Roman Makarov Michalis Pagkalos Panayiota Poirazi Source Type: research