This study explores collective learning in living neural networks, focusing on group-to-group Hebbian learning, i.e., strengthening and weakening of links dependent on the precise timing of their activities. While neuronal plasticity is now well understood for single pairs of neurons, recent research has demonstrated that groups of tens of neurons are required to encode information in mammalian brains. Thus, it is critical to understand how mechanisms of plasticity, in particular spike-timing-dependent plasticity, operate at the group scale. We find that neuronal groups can reach significant plasticity after only 45 stimuli when a proper tradeoff between pulse duration and photostimulation effectiveness is chosen. Random contextual stimulation, which enhances the reliability of response for the targeted neuronal groups, is necessary for rapid network-level Hebbian learning. By demonstrating enhanced learning in the presence of random contextual activity, this study underscores the highly cooperative character of neurons and the importance of investigating learning, information flow, and memory formation at the network scale.

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• Biological neural networks
• Neural basis of learning & memory
• Neuroscience, neural computation & artificial intelligence