This proposal requests funds to support research to find principles of organization that can account for experimental data on the cellular level and on various higher levels. Specific objectives include: clarifying the dependence of learning on synaptic modification, elucidating the principles that govern synapse formation or modification, constructing a molecular model for synaptic modificaton, constructing network models that can compute, learn, associate, and reproduce such higher level cognitive acts as abstraction, language acquisition, and speech recognition. By testing critical theories, the principal investigator will attempt to obtain a better understanding of the basic biological mechanisms by which the cental nervous system learns and organizes itself and acquires its capacity for mental acts. The principal and coprincipal investigators are well funded and well versed in a wide variety of techniques and theoretical frameworks germane to the research proposed. They are well qualified to conduct the research. The interaction of theoreticians and experimentalists will allow the coupling of theory and experimentation, a major strength of this proposal. Support is recommended.
