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Generating functionals for autonomous latching dynamics in attractor relict networks

Well characterized sequences of dynamical states play an important role for motor control and associative neural computation in the brain. Autonomous dynamics involving sequences of transiently stable states have been termed associative latching in the context of grammar generation. We propose that generating functionals allow for a systematic construction of dynamical networks with well characterized dynamical behavior, such as regular or intermittent bursting latching dynamics. Coupling local, slowly adapting variables to an attractor network allows to destabilize all attractors, turning them into attractor ruins. The resulting attractor relict network may show ongoing autonomous latching dynamics. We propose to use two generating functionals for the construction of attractor relict networks. The first functional is a simple Hopfield energy functional, known to generate a neural attractor network. The second generating functional, which we denote polyhomeostatic optimization, is based on information-theoretical principles, encoding the information content of the neural firing statistics. Polyhomeostatic optimization destabilizes the attractors of the Hopfield network inducing latching dynamics. We investigate the influence of stress, in terms of conflicting optimization targets, on the resulting dynamics. Objective function stress is absent when the target level for the mean of neural activities is identical for the two generating functionals and the resulting latching dynamics is then found to be regular. Objective function stress is present when the respective target activity levels differ, inducing intermittent bursting latching dynamics. We propose that generating functionals may be useful quite generally for the controlled construction of complex dynamical systems.