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Related Concept Videos

Long-term Potentiation01:35

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 Potentiation01:25

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 Depression01:05

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.
Long-term Depression01:03

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...
Neuroplasticity01:01

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.
Integration of Synaptic Events01:28

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Improved Preparation and Preservation of Hippocampal Mouse Slices for a Very Stable and Reproducible Recording of Long-term Potentiation
09:39

Improved Preparation and Preservation of Hippocampal Mouse Slices for a Very Stable and Reproducible Recording of Long-term Potentiation

Published on: June 26, 2013

Matched pre- and post-synaptic changes underlie synaptic plasticity over long time scales.

Alex Loebel1, Jean-Vincent Le Bé, Magnus J E Richardson

  • 1Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maxmilians-Universität München, and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, D-82152 Munich, Germany. alex.loebel@gmail.com

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|April 12, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Synaptic plasticity involves matched changes in presynaptic release sites and postsynaptic components. These modifications, crucial for learning and memory, adapt synaptic efficacy by adding or removing functional units over time.

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3D Modeling of Dendritic Spines with Synaptic Plasticity
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3D Modeling of Dendritic Spines with Synaptic Plasticity

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Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording
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Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Improved Preparation and Preservation of Hippocampal Mouse Slices for a Very Stable and Reproducible Recording of Long-term Potentiation
09:39

Improved Preparation and Preservation of Hippocampal Mouse Slices for a Very Stable and Reproducible Recording of Long-term Potentiation

Published on: June 26, 2013

3D Modeling of Dendritic Spines with Synaptic Plasticity
07:13

3D Modeling of Dendritic Spines with Synaptic Plasticity

Published on: May 18, 2020

Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording
14:27

Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording

Published on: August 11, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Synaptic Plasticity
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Synaptic efficacy modifications are vital for learning and memory.
  • Long-term changes in synaptic transmission components remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate how functional components of synaptic transmission change over extended periods.
  • Examine synaptic modifications in rat cortical synapses following activity.

Main Methods:

  • Studied cortical synapses in young Wistar rats.
  • Applied 12-hour intervals of spontaneous or glutamate-induced spiking activity.
  • Analyzed changes in synaptic efficacy, presynaptic release sites, and postsynaptic components.

Main Results:

  • Synaptic efficacies showed up to 10-fold increases or decreases.
  • Changes involved modifications in presynaptic release site number.
  • Postsynaptic changes maintained quantal size per release site.
  • Pharmacological modulation did not alter the presynaptic-postsynaptic quantitative relationship.

Conclusions:

  • Ongoing synaptic plasticity involves coordinated presynaptic and postsynaptic modifications.
  • Elementary synaptic modules are added or removed based on experience.
  • These matched modifications are fundamental to synaptic adaptation and function.