Mechanisms of NMDA receptor-dependent LTP and LTD in the hippocampus.

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The human brain contains an enormous network of neurons which communicate via specialised connections known as synapses. Synapses are fundamental to brain function but they are not permanently fixed, instead synapses are made and lost throughout life in response to changes in brain activity. In addition, the strength of a synapse can be modified to make the connection between neurons more or less effective. This process, known as synaptic plasticity, enables the activity of neuronal networks to be altered by experience. Synaptic plasticity is therefore believed to underlie our ability to learn and remember. The mechanisms of synaptic plasticity have been extensively studied in rodent hippocampus, a brain region essential for memory formation. The proposed research will investigate one form of synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation, in rat hippocampal neurons. We will investigate the changes that occur to strengthen synapses during long-term potentiation, and how these changes actually happen. The results will increase our understanding of how changes in synaptic plasticity relate to changes in neuronal function and learning processes.