# Reward-Modulated Local Learning in Spiking Encoders: Controlled Benchmarks with STDP and Hybrid Rate Readouts

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00710 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.00710/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 4 of its 16 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 28 Feb 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Surrogate Gradient Learning in Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1901.09948/) (2019)
- [Spatio-Temporal Backpropagation for Training High-performance Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.02609/) (2017)
- [Training Spiking Neural Networks Using Lessons From Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.12894/) (2021)
- [Training Deep Spiking Neural Networks using Backpropagation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1608.08782/) (2016)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This paper presents a controlled empirical study of biologically motivated local learning for handwritten digit recognition. We evaluate an STDP-inspired competitive proxy and a practical hybrid benchmark built on the same spiking population encoder. The proxy is motivated by leaky integrate-and-fire E/I circuit models with three-factor delayed reward modulation. The hybrid update is local in pre x post rates but uses supervised labels and no timing-based credit assignment. On sklearn digits, fixed-seed evaluation shows classical pixel baselines from 98.06 to 98.22% accuracy, while local spike-based models reach 86.39 +/- 4.75% (hybrid default) and 87.17 +/- 3.74% (STDP-style competitive proxy). Ablations identify normalization and reward-shaping settings as the strongest observed levers, with a best hybrid ablation of 95.52 +/- 1.11%. A network-free synthetic temporal benchmark supports the same timing-versus-rate interpretation under matched local-update training. A descriptive 2x2 analysis further shows reward-shaping effects can reverse sign across stabilization regimes, so reward-shaping conclusions should be reported jointly with normalization settings.