Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Slice Patch Clamp Technique for Analyzing Learning-Induced Plasticity
Published on: November 11, 2017
Neurobiological mechanisms of state-dependent learning
Jelena Radulovic1, Vladimir Jovasevic1, Mariah Aa Meyer1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Asher Center for Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Abstract:
State-dependent learning (SDL) is a phenomenon relating to information storage and retrieval restricted to discrete states. While extensively studied using psychopharmacological approaches, SDL has not been subjected to rigorous neuroscientific study. Here we present an overview of approaches historically used to induce SDL, and highlight some of the known neurobiological mechanisms, in particular those related to inhibitory neurotransmission and its regulation by microRNAs (miR). We also propose novel cellular and circuit mechanisms as contributing factors. Lastly, we discuss the implications of advancing our knowledge on SDL, both for most fundamental processes of learning and memory as well as for development and maintenance of psychopathology.
Related Concept Videos
Long-term Potentiation
Long-term Potentiation
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when...
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...

