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Two-factor synaptic plasticity enables memory consolidation during neuronal burst firing
Kathleen Jacquerie1,2, Danil Tyulmankov3,4, Pierre Sacré2
1Biology Department, Marder Lab, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
PNAS Nexus
|July 3, 2026
Summary
Brain circuits balance learning and memory by switching between tonic and burst firing. A novel two-factor plasticity rule stabilizes memories during burst epochs, enhancing generalization and noise resistance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Brain circuits must remain adaptable for new learning while solidifying existing memories.
- The interaction between different neural firing modes (tonic vs. burst) and synaptic plasticity in memory consolidation is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if burst firing epochs can stabilize memories encoded during tonic firing.
- To explore a new two-factor synaptic plasticity rule for memory consolidation.
Main Methods:
- Developed a conductance-based spiking neural network model with a two-factor plasticity rule.
- Simulated network behavior during pattern recognition tasks with tonic and burst firing regimes.
- Conducted ablation experiments to assess the necessity of bursting and the plasticity rule components.
Main Results:
- The two-factor plasticity rule effectively stabilized learned patterns, improved generalization, and increased noise robustness.
- Burst epochs were crucial for memory retention; their absence led to memory fading.
- Blocking secondary plasticity or replacing bursts with tonic firing impaired memory stability and increased noise sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- Burst epochs, coupled with a two-factor plasticity rule, offer a viable mechanism for stabilizing neural memories.
- This model highlights the synergistic role of neural activity patterns and plasticity rules in memory consolidation and generalization.
Keywords:
eligibility traceneuromodulated synaptic plasticityneuromodulationstructural synaptic plasticityMore Related Videos
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