Neuromodulators Generate Multiple Context-Relevant Behaviors in Recurrent Neural Networks

Neuromodulators are critical controllers of neural states, with dysfunctions linked to various neuropsychiatric disorders. Although many biological aspects of neuromodulation have been studied, the computational principles underlying how neuromodulation of distributed neural populations controls brain states remain unclear. In contrast to external contextual inputs, neuromodulation can act as a single scalar signal that is broadcast to a vast population of neurons. We model the modulation of synaptic weight in a recurrent neural network model and show that neuromodulators can dramatically alter the function of a network, even when highly simplified. We find that under structural constraints like those in brains, this provides a fundamental mechanism that can increase the computational capability and flexibility of a neural network. Diffuse synaptic weight modulation enables storage of multiple memories using a common set of synapses that are able to generate diverse, even diametrically opposed, behaviors. Our findings help explain how neuromodulators unlock specific behaviors by creating task-specific hyperchannels in neural activity space and motivate more flexible, compact and capable machine learning architectures.