In the quest to model neuronal function amidst gaps in physiological data, a promising strategy is to develop a normative theory that interprets neuronal physiology as optimizing a computational objective. This study extends the current normative models, which primarily optimize prediction, by conceptualizing neurons as optimal feedback controllers. We posit that neurons, especially those beyond early sensory areas, act as controllers, steering their environment towards a specific desired state through their output. This environment comprises both synaptically interlinked neurons and external motor sensory feedback loops, enabling neurons to evaluate the effectiveness of their control via synaptic feedback. Utilizing the novel Direct Data-Driven Control (DD-DC) framework, we model neurons as biologically feasible controllers which implicitly identify loop dynamics, infer latent states and optimize control. Our DD-DC neuron model explains various neurophysiological phenomena: the shift from potentiation to depression in Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (STDP) with its asymmetry, the duration and adaptive nature of feedforward and feedback neuronal filters, the imprecision in spike generation under constant stimulation, and the characteristic operational variability and noise in the brain. Our model presents a significant departure from the traditional, feedforward, instant-response McCulloch-Pitts-Rosenblatt neuron, offering a novel and biologically-informed fundamental unit for constructing neural networks.

发展一个解释神经元生理学的规范理论，将神经元视为最佳反馈控制器，利用新的DD-DC框架对神经元进行建模，从而解释了神经生理现象并提供了构建神经网络的新方法。

神经元作为直接数据驱动控制器