Physiological significance of long-term potentiation.
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a form of synaptic plasticity that follows repetitive, high frequency stimulation of excitatory presynaptic fibers. It produces a long-lasting enhancement of synaptic strength that is usually revealed as an increased size of excitatory postsynaptic potentials. It is most prominent in the hippocampus, although it may be evoked in other brain regions. Use-dependent modifications in synaptic function are probably the basis of learning and memory, thus the study of LTP may represent a useful model for investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying the process of information storage.
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Neurophysiology Research Unit, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, S. Maria Imbaro (Chieti), Italy.
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D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*