Abstract
Long-lasting plasticity of synaptic transmission is classically thought to be the cellular substrate for information storage in the brain. Recent data indicate however that it is not the whole story and persistent changes in the intrinsic neuronal excitability have been shown to occur in parallel to the induction of long-term synaptic modifications. This form of plasticity depends on the regulation of voltage-gated ion channels. Here we review the experimental evidence for plasticity of neuronal excitability induced at pre- or postsynaptic sites when long-term plasticity of synaptic transmission is induced with Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) protocols. We describe the induction and expression mechanisms of the induced changes in excitability. Finally, the functional synergy between synaptic and non-synaptic plasticity and their spatial extent are discussed.
Highlights
Long-lasting plasticity of synaptic transmission was for years considered as the favorite mechanism to account for information storage in the brain
Plasticity of intrinsic neuronal excitability: a cellular mechanism of learning and memory The postulate that modification in intrinsic excitability could underlie the formation of functional neuronal assemblies and may contribute to a specific memory trace has its origin in invertebrate neural systems
At the postsynaptic side this plasticity is largely localized within the dendrites – involving the regulation of A-type K+ and h-type cationic channels – and respects the input specificity of synaptic modifications, preserving high capacity of information storage
Summary
Reviewed by: Eve Marder, Brandeis University, USA; Henry Markram, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland. Long-lasting plasticity of synaptic transmission is classically thought to be the cellular substrate for information storage in the brain. Recent data indicate that it is not the whole story and persistent changes in the intrinsic neuronal excitability have been shown to occur in parallel to the induction of long-term synaptic modifications.This form of plasticity depends on the regulation of voltage-gated ion channels. We review the experimental evidence for plasticity of neuronal excitability induced at pre- or postsynaptic sites when long-term plasticity of synaptic transmission is induced with Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) protocols. We describe the induction and expression mechanisms of the induced changes in excitability. The functional synergy between synaptic and non-synaptic plasticity and their spatial extent are discussed
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