[Post-tetanic potentiation of the dendritic potentials of the cerebral cortex]

In acute experiments on anesthetized cats, the post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) of cortical dendritic potentials lasted for over 30 min. The PTP did not occur after cooling of the cortex below 31 degrees C or after ouabain application to the cortex. In presentation of paired stimuli during the PTP, mathematical analysis revealed an enhancement of relative depression of the dendritic potential at the second stimulus. The PTP of dendritic potentials seems to be associated with metabolic processes in presynaptic fibers of the 1 layer which have synaptic contacts with apical dendrites.