Long-term potentiation in the amygdala: a mechanism for emotional learning and memory
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 18, 2026

Long-term Potentiation of Perforant Pathway-dentate Gyrus Synapse in Freely Behaving Mice
Published on: November 29, 2013
1Dept of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, MI 48109-1109, USA.
Abstract:
In the mammalian brain, LTP is an enduring form of synaptic plasticity that is posited to have a role in learning and memory. Compelling new evidence for this view derives from studies of LTP in the amygdala, a brain structure that is essential for simple forms of emotional learning and memory, such as Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats. More specifically, antagonists of the NMDA receptor block both amygdaloid LTP induction and fear conditioning, fear conditioning induces increases in amygdaloid synaptic transmission that resemble LTP, and genetic modifications that disrupt amygdaloid LTP eliminate fear conditioning. Collectively, these results provide the most-convincing evidence to date that LTP mediates learning and memory in mammals.
More Related Videos
07:17Aversive Associative Learning and Memory Formation by Pairing Two Chemicals in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: June 23, 2022
09:39Improved Preparation and Preservation of Hippocampal Mouse Slices for a Very Stable and Reproducible Recording of Long-term Potentiation
Published on: June 26, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Role of Amygdala in Memory
One of the...
Long-term Potentiation
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when presynaptic neurons...
Long-term Potentiation
Traumatic Memory
Functional Brain Systems: Limbic System
Long-term Depression