Primary afferent-evoked synaptic plasticity in deep dorsal horn neurons from neonatal rat spinal cord in vitro

Whole-cell patch clamp recordings of deep dorsal horn neurons were undertaken in 'thick' transverse slices to demonstrate plasticity of primary afferent-evoked synaptic responses following conditioning stimulation. Synaptic plasticity was observed in neurons throughout the age range examined (postnatal days 3-6 and 9-16) but only long-term depression (LTD) was evocable in older animals (P9-16). Both short- and long-latency synaptic responses could undergo long-term potentiation (LTP) and LTD suggesting that AMPA/kainate and NMDA receptor-evoked responses are modifiable.