arXiv:2509.17174q-bio.NCcs.LG2025-09NeurIPS

用图神经网络自监督推断神经环路连接,能处理观测不全的情况。

Self-Supervised Discovery of Neural Circuits in Spatially Patterned Neural Responses with Graph Neural Networks

  • 将神经元建模为图节点,用GNN同时预测放电和推断连接权重。
  • 在模拟与真实小鼠头方向细胞数据中均准确恢复连接结构。
  • 适合研究部分观测下的神经环路动态,对计算神经科学有启发。

从神经群体活动推断突触连接是计算神经科学中的核心挑战,受观测不全和模型与真实电路动力学不匹配的影响。本文提出一种基于图的神经推断模型,将神经元视为图中相互作用的节点,通过图神经网络(GNN)同时预测神经活动并推断隐含连接。该架构包含两个模块:一个用于学习结构连接,另一个通过GNN预测未来放电活动。模型通过辅助节点处理未观测神经元,可在部分观测电路中进行推断。我们在环形吸引子网络生成的合成数据以及小鼠头方向细胞的真实放电记录上评估该方法。在不同条件(包括变化的递归连接、外部输入及观测不全)下,模型可靠地消除虚假相关性并恢复准确的权重分布。应用于真实数据时,推断的连接与连续吸引子模型的理论预测一致。结果表明,基于GNN的模型可通过自监督结构学习有效推断潜在神经环路,同时利用放电预测任务灵活关联连接与动力学,适用于模拟与生物神经系统。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Inferring synaptic connectivity from neural population activity is a fundamental challenge in computational neuroscience, complicated by partial observability and mismatches between inference models and true circuit dynamics. In this study, we propose a graph-based neural inference model that simultaneously predicts neural activity and infers latent connectivity by modeling neurons as interacting nodes in a graph. The architecture features two distinct modules: one for learning structural connectivity and another for predicting future spiking activity via a graph neural network (GNN). Our model accommodates unobserved neurons through auxiliary nodes, allowing for inference in partially observed circuits. We evaluate this approach using synthetic data generated from ring attractor network models and real spike recordings from head direction cells in mice. Across a wide range of conditions, including varying recurrent connectivity, external inputs, and incomplete observations, our model reliably resolves spurious correlations and recovers accurate weight profiles. When applied to real data, the inferred connectivity aligns with theoretical predictions of continuous attractor models. These results highlight the potential of GNN-based models to infer latent neural circuitry through self-supervised structure learning, while leveraging the spike prediction task to flexibly link connectivity and dynamics across both simulated and biological neural systems.

神经环路图神经网络自监督学习

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