Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.

Plasticity

Plasticity

Plasticity is the property where an object loses its elasticity and undergoes irreversible deformation, even after the deformation forces are eliminated. If a material deforms irreversibly without increasing stress or load, then this is called ideal plasticity. For example, when a force is applied to an aluminum rod, it changes its shape, but it does not return to its original shape once the force is removed. Plastic deformation or ductility is thus a permanent deformation or change in the...

Neural Circuits

Neural Circuits

Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when presynaptic neurons...

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.

Long-term Depression

Long-term Depression

Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Long term clinical follow-up and natural history in a cohort of Italian patients with GNE myopathy: the experience of a single centre.

Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology·2025

Same author

The endogenous oxytocin after manipulative osteopathic treatment in full-term pregnant women.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2024

Same author

Somatosensory input in the context of transcranial magnetic stimulation coupled with electroencephalography: An evidence-based overview.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2023

Same author

The role of peritoneal lavage in benign gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2023

Same author

Covid-19 and Parkinson's disease: an overview.

Journal of neurology·2021

Same author

Only the Fastest Corticospinal Fibers Contribute to β Corticomuscular Coherence.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Assessment of Long-term Depression Induction in Adult Cerebellar Slices

Assessment of Long-term Depression Induction in Adult Cerebellar Slices

Published on: October 16, 2019

Differing effects of intracortical circuits on plasticity.

J T H Teo¹, C Terranova, O Swayne

¹Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. jteo@ion.ucl.ac.uk

Experimental Brain Research

|December 3, 2008

Summary

Practice-dependent plasticity, an increase in motor-evoked potentials (MEP) amplitude after motor task practice, was impaired by lorazepam but not zolpidem. This suggests specific GABA(A) circuits, not GABA(A)-alpha(1) receptors, control plasticity.

More Related Videos

Inducing Long-Term Plasticity of Intrinsic Neuronal Excitability in Neurons of the Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Inducing Long-Term Plasticity of Intrinsic Neuronal Excitability in Neurons of the Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Published on: September 20, 2024

Standardized Induction and Assessment of Long-term Potentiation-like Cortical Plasticity Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Standardized Induction and Assessment of Long-term Potentiation-like Cortical Plasticity Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: November 7, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Assessment of Long-term Depression Induction in Adult Cerebellar Slices

Assessment of Long-term Depression Induction in Adult Cerebellar Slices

Published on: October 16, 2019

Inducing Long-Term Plasticity of Intrinsic Neuronal Excitability in Neurons of the Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Inducing Long-Term Plasticity of Intrinsic Neuronal Excitability in Neurons of the Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Published on: September 20, 2024

Standardized Induction and Assessment of Long-term Potentiation-like Cortical Plasticity Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Standardized Induction and Assessment of Long-term Potentiation-like Cortical Plasticity Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: November 7, 2025

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Neuroplasticity

Background:

Motor task practice enhances motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, a phenomenon known as practice-dependent plasticity.
This plasticity is inhibited by NMDA antagonists and GABA(A) agonists like lorazepam.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether specific GABA(A) receptor subtypes mediate the inhibitory effect of lorazepam on practice-dependent plasticity.
To compare the effects of a non-selective GABA(A) agonist (lorazepam) with a selective GABA(A)-alpha(1) receptor agonist (zolpidem).

Main Methods:

Healthy subjects practiced a ballistic motor task.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) quantified MEP amplitude changes.
Effects of lorazepam and zolpidem on MEPs and cortical inhibitory circuits (SICI, SAI, LICI) were assessed.

Main Results:

Lorazepam increased short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and decreased short-interval afferent inhibition (SAI).
Zolpidem only decreased SAI.
Practice-dependent plasticity was impaired by lorazepam, but not zolpidem.
This impairment correlated negatively with lorazepam-induced SICI changes.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that intracortical circuits involved in SICI, rather than GABA(A)-alpha(1) receptor-expressing neurons, play a role in regulating practice-dependent MEP plasticity.
This highlights a potential mechanism for modulating motor learning and recovery.