A multi-level account of hippocampal function from behavior to neurons

A complete neuroscience requires multi-level theories that address phenomena ranging from higher-level cognitive behaviors to activities within a cell. A levels-of-mechanism approach that decomposes a higher-level model of cognition and behavior into component mechanisms provides a coherent and richer understanding of the system than any level alone. Toward this end, we decomposed a cognitive model into neuron-like units using a neural flocking approach that parallels recurrent hippocampal activity. Neural flocking coordinates units that collectively form higher-level mental constructs. The decomposed model suggested how brain-scale neural populations coordinate to form assemblies encoding concept and spatial representations, and why so many neurons are needed for robust performance at the cognitive level. This multi-level explanation provides a way to understand how cognition and symbol-like representations are supported by coordinated neural populations (assemblies) formed through learning.