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

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 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...

Integration of Synaptic Events

Integration of Synaptic Events

Synaptic integration mainly includes the summation of graded potentials. Graded potentials, regardless of their type, cause subtle alterations in membrane voltage, resulting in either depolarization or hyperpolarization. These incremental changes, when combined or summed, can propel the neuron toward its threshold. Consider, for example, a membrane experiencing a +15 mV shift, causing it to depolarize from -70 mV to -55 mV. In this scenario, graded potentials govern the membrane's ability to...

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...

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.

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of specific...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Next-generation chemogenetic inhibition using a brain-permeant non-prescription agent.

Signal transduction and targeted therapy·2026

Same author

UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology: 75 years of innovation.

The Lancet. Neurology·2026

Same author

Clinical and Molecular Genetic Characterization of Landau Kleffner Syndrome: An Observational Cohort and Experimental Study.

Annals of neurology·2025

Same author

Increased GABA<sub>A</sub> receptor open probability: Adaptive mechanisms to cope with anoxia in the painted turtle.

Neuroscience·2025

Same author

Protocol to study chloride regulation in cultured mouse cortical neurons using electrophysiology.

STAR protocols·2025

Same author

Deciphering temporal gene expression dynamics during epilepsy development using a rat model of focal neocortical epilepsy.

Epilepsia·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Interrogation of Long-Range Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity from Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Interrogation of Long-Range Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity from Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

Published on: February 25, 2022

Spike-timing dependent plasticity in inhibitory circuits.

Karri P Lamsa¹, Dimitri M Kullmann, Melanie A Woodin

¹Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University Oxford, UK.

Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience

|March 23, 2011

Summary

Brain

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cellular Neuroscience

Background:

Inhibitory brain circuits, crucial for neural function, were traditionally viewed as static.
Emerging evidence reveals significant long-term plasticity in GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid) circuits.
This plasticity challenges previous assumptions about the stability of inhibitory signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and categorize the major sites of long-term plasticity in GABAergic inhibitory circuits.
To explore how specific patterns of neuronal activity, including spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP), may trigger these changes.
To discuss the functional implications of plasticity in interneuron recruitment and GABAergic signaling for brain function.

Main Methods:

Review of recent literature on long-term plasticity in GABAergic circuits.

Keywords:

GABA KCC2 NKCC1 chloride fast-spiking interneuron oscillation

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

Slice Patch Clamp Technique for Analyzing Learning-Induced Plasticity

Slice Patch Clamp Technique for Analyzing Learning-Induced Plasticity

Published on: November 11, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Interrogation of Long-Range Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity from Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Interrogation of Long-Range Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity from Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

Published on: February 25, 2022

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

Slice Patch Clamp Technique for Analyzing Learning-Induced Plasticity

Slice Patch Clamp Technique for Analyzing Learning-Induced Plasticity

Published on: November 11, 2017

Identification of three primary locations for plasticity expression.

Analysis of studies investigating the role of pre- and postsynaptic action potentials in plasticity induction.

Main Results:

Plasticity occurs at glutamatergic synapses exciting interneurons, exhibiting long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD).
GABAergic synapses themselves demonstrate plasticity in GABA release or postsynaptic receptor function.
Changes in the postsynaptic anion gradient of GABAergic synapses can alter GABA(A) receptor reversal potentials.

Conclusions:

GABAergic circuits exhibit diverse forms of long-term plasticity at multiple sites.
This plasticity provides flexibility in neural inhibition, essential for brain function.
Further research is needed to fully elucidate spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) in these circuits.