Post-activation potentiation in the neocortex of awake freely moving rats

The search for the cellular processes that underlie information storage within neuronal systems lead to the development of two models of post-activation potentiation, long-term potentiation (LTP) and kindling. Both models give rise to a long-lasting increase in synaptic strength and altered unit discharge patterns. The present paper reviews synaptic plasticity in the neocortex of awake freely moving rats following both single and multiple sessions of activation with high-frequency, tetanic electrical stimulation. The phenomenology of neocortical post-activation potentiation and some possible underlying mechanisms are discussed. We speculate that the functional significance of potentiated responses may reflect a reorganization of the neocortex in a manner similar to those that create and define receptive fields.