A neural network model for the mechanism of feature-extraction. A self- organizing network with feedback inhibition (Q794566)

We propose a new multilayered neural network model which has the ability of rapid self-organization. This model is a modified version of the cognitron; cf. the second author, Cognitron: A self-organizing multilayered neural network. ibid. 20, 121-136 (1975). It has modifiable inhibitory feedback connections, as well as conventional modifiable excitatory feedforward connections, between the cells of adjoining layers. If a feature-extracting cell in the network is excited by a stimulus which is already familiar to the network, the cell immediately feeds back inhibitory signals to its presynaptic cells in the preceding layer, which suppresses their response. On the other hand, the feature-extracting cell does not respond to an unfamiliar feature, and the responses from its presynaptic cells are therefore not suppressed because they do not receive any feedback inhibition.