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Related Concept Videos

Long-term Potentiation01:25

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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.
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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.
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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.
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Neural Circuits01:25

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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.
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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.
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Inducing Long-Term Plasticity of Intrinsic Neuronal Excitability in Neurons of the Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
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Target-cell-specific short-term plasticity in local circuits.

Arne V Blackman1, Therese Abrahamsson2, Rui Ponte Costa3

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London London, UK.

Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience
|December 25, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Short-term plasticity (STP) changes synaptic strength and is crucial for neural information processing. Synapse-specific STP, influenced by target cells, suggests a functional role beyond simple fatigue.

Keywords:
developmentnetwork modelsshort-term plasticitysynapse formationsynapse specificitysynaptic disease

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Synaptic Plasticity
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Short-term plasticity (STP) refers to transient changes in synaptic strength lasting seconds.
  • STP is traditionally attributed to presynaptic mechanisms like vesicle depletion and calcium dynamics.
  • STP is believed to influence neuronal functions such as input coherence detection, stability, and synchronization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional significance of synapse-specific short-term plasticity.
  • To explore the implications of target cell-dependent synaptic dynamics.
  • To highlight the need for interdisciplinary approaches to understand synapse-specific STP.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent experimental and theoretical evidence on short-term plasticity.
  • Analysis of studies implicating specific genes (e.g., Elfn1) and molecular mechanisms (e.g., presynaptic NMDA receptors).
  • Integration of findings from molecular biology, electrophysiology, and computational modeling.

Main Results:

  • Emerging evidence indicates that short-term plasticity is synapse-dependent, even for connections from a single presynaptic neuron.
  • Postsynaptic target cell type significantly influences synaptic short-term dynamics, suggesting a functional, rather than fatigue-based, role.
  • Examples include sequential somatic and dendritic inhibition in excitatory cells, regulated by factors like Elfn1 and presynaptic NMDA receptors.

Conclusions:

  • Synapse-specific short-term plasticity is a selectively implemented neural feature, not merely synaptic fatigue.
  • Understanding its function requires considering the local circuit context and integrating diverse scientific disciplines.
  • Further experimental and theoretical research is essential to elucidate the precise roles of synapse-specific STP.