(2007) Does spike timing-dependent synaptic plasticity underlie memory formation-.pdf

Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology (2007) 34, 1070–1076 doi: -
Blackwell Publishing Asia
STDPJJMiscellaneous Letzkus and etmemory al. formation Proceedings of the Australian Physiological Society Symposium:
Development and Physiological Adaptations of Neuronal Circuits and Synapses-I
DOES SPIKE TIMING-DEPENDENT SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY UNDERLIE
MEMORY FORMATION?
Johannes J Letzkus, Björn M Kampa* and Greg J Stuart
Division of Neuroscience, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra,
Australian Capital Territory, Australia
SUMMARY INTRODUCTION
1. Synaptic plasticity is thought to underlie learning and One of the central questions in neuroscience is understanding the
memory formation in the brain. However, how synaptic plasticity mechanisms mediating the enormous information storage capacity
is induced during these processes remains controversial. An of the brain. The discovery of long-term potentiation (LTP) of
attractive candidate mechanism for learning at the neuronal synaptic transmission1 and its counterpart, long-term depression
level is spike timing-dependent synaptic plasticity (STDP), (LTD),2 sparked an avalanche of research that ultimately led to the
which depends on the precise (msec) timing of the synaptic input hypothesis that activity dependent synaptic pl