Neural circuit

A connected group of neurons whose interactions produce particular patterns of computation or behavior. Its activity depends on both the connections among neurons and their changing electrical and chemical signals.

Action potential: A brief, regenerative change in a neuron's membrane voltage that propagates along its axon. Circuits transmit fast signals through action potentials traveling between connected neurons.
Neuron: An electrically excitable cell that receives, processes, and transmits information through electrical and chemical signals. Neurons are the cells whose interactions constitute a neural circuit.
Hippocampal formation: A set of medial temporal lobe structures involved in memory and spatial processing. Its interconnected subregions provide a well-studied circuit for memory and navigation.
Neural decoding: The inference of represented stimuli, intentions, or states from patterns of neural activity. Decoding tests whether measured circuit activity carries behaviorally meaningful information.
Synapse: A specialized junction through which one neuron communicates with another cell. Synapses form the contact points whose strengths and signs shape circuit activity.
Neurotransmitter: A chemical messenger released by neurons that alters the activity of target cells. Chemical transmission carries signals across many circuit connections.
Cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop: A set of reciprocal pathways linking the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus. This loop helps select actions and is altered in movement disorders.
Neural ensemble: A group of neurons whose coordinated activity is associated with a shared function or representation. Identifying functional ensembles remains difficult when circuit membership shifts across tasks.
Synaptic plasticity: A lasting change in the strength or efficacy of communication across a synapse. Plasticity changes circuit connectivity through experience and can alter its computation.
Neural network: A system of interconnected neurons or neuron-like units that processes information. A neural circuit is a biological instance of an interconnected neural network.

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