The very first works that gave light to the field of Artificial Intelligence were heavily influenced by the study of the brain, and carried out by collaborative efforts of computer- and neuro-scientists. Progressively, the models and methods proposed have distanced themselves from this approach, towards ones more oriented to informatics. In the last years, a resurgence of interest in works that bridge the two fields has taken action, thanks also to development of tools that allows to investigate the brain with a extraordinary level of detail. Biological mechanisms act as a natural source of inspiration for innovative techniques applicable to artificial networks.