Hebbian synaptic modification in cortical circuits and memory-guided behavior in spatial alternation and delayed non-match to position

Numerous studies have focused on the mechanisms of Hebbian synaptic plasticity within the hippocampal formation and neocortical structures, but the specific role of this plasticity in regulating behavior remains unclean. This paper presents a model demonstrating how Hebbian synaptic modification could mediate the context-dependent retrieval of episodes necessary for memory guided behavior in specific tasks, and could also contribute to prefrontal mechanisms for regulation of goal directed behavior. This modeling effectively links neurophysiological data to the functional role of Hebbian synaptic modification and theta rhythm oscillations. The model simulates data on neuronal spike firing and field potentials in the hippocampus, including: 1) the phenomenon of theta phase precession of place cells: 2) the context-sensitivity of neuronal firing ("splitter cells") during spatial alternation: and 3) the selective changes in theta phase precession across different trials on the same day.