Coincidence Detection: Towards an Alternative to Synaptic Plasticity. Technical Report 2012‐01

This paper introduces neurally plausible mechanisms for the basis of active memory and association making without synaptic plasticity. After discussing the predominant hebbian view for memory and learning in cognitive science, its limitations are presented from an energetic and temporal perspective. In particular, it is shown that synaptic plasticity cannot account for short-term mechanisms in memory and association making. The foundations of alternative mechanisms based on the spatiotemporal dynamic properties of neural groups are then developed and supported by existing work. Finally, how these alternate mechanisms can address the problem of retrieval is addressed along with future considerations. Keywords: online cognition, synaptic plasticity, short-term memory, active memory, sensory memory, association, learning, spatiotemporal dynamics, neural groups