Artificial glial cells in artificial neuronal networks: a systematic review

Abstract

The concept of tripartite synapses has revolutionized the world of neuroscience and the way we understand how information is transmitted in the brain. Since its discovery, some research groups have incorporated into connectionist systems classically focused on the development of Artificial Neuron Networks (ANNs) as a single element, artificial astrocytes that try to optimize performance in problem solving.In this systematic review, we searched the ISI Web of Science for papers that focused on the development of such novel models and their comparison with classical ANNs. A total of 22 papers that satisfied the inclusion criteria were analyzed, showing three different ways of applying the neuromodulatory influence of artificial astrocytes on neural networks. Using Multilayer Perceptron Networks, Artificial Neuro-Glial Newtworks and Multilayer Perceptron with Self-Organizing Maps approaches, a detailed analysis of the incorporation of artificial astrocytic networks has been carried out, and the main differences between the different methods have been weighed up. Regardless of the type of inclusion performed, the greater the complexity of the problem to be solved, it has been observed that the influence of artificial astrocytes has improved the performance of classical ANNs, as occurs in the biological brain.

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“…Our knowledge of how information is conveyed in the brain has changed, as has the study of neuroscience, and since their discovery, connectionist techniques have evolved to create ANNs [43]. ANNs are designed to emulate the functioning of the human brain.…”