Multiple interlinked positive feedback loops shape the stimulus responses of various biochemical systems, such as the cell cycle or intracellular Ca2+ release. Recent studies with simplified models have identified two advantages of coupling fast and slow feedback loops. This dual-time structure enables a fast response while enhancing resistances of responses and bistability to stimulus noise. W...

A novel property of hippocampal LTP, 'variable persistence', has recently been described that is, we argue, relevant to the role of LTP in information storage. Specifically, new results indicate that a particular pattern of synaptic activation can give rise, either to a relatively short-lasting LTP, or to a longer-lasting LTP as a function of the history of activation of the neuron. This has le...

Cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory were investigated in the octopus using a brain slice preparation of the vertical lobe, an area of the octopus brain involved in learning and memory. Field potential recordings revealed long-term potentiation (LTP) of glutamatergic synaptic field potentials similar to that in vertebrates. These findings suggest that convergent evolution has led ...

Perceptual learning is an implicit form of learning which induces long-lasting perceptual enhancements. Perceptual learning shows intriguing characteristics. For example, a minimal number of trials per session is needed for learning and the interleaved presentation of more than one stimulus type can hinder learning. Here, we show that these and other characteristics of perceptual learning are v...

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase is an important protein kinase for cortical plasticity. Long-term potentiation in the anterior cingulate cortex is believed to play important roles in chronic pain, fear, and anxiety. Previous studies of extracellular signal-regulated kinase are mainly focused on postsynaptic form of long-term potentiation (post-long-term potentiation). Little is known ...

Introduction: Over the last decade, exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic waves due to base station antenna has increased. This in vivo study was planned for evaluating the effects of whole-body exposure to 950 MHz field of GSM mobile phone system on rat dentate gyrus long-term potentiation. Materials and Methods: 24 naive male Wistar rats (3 month old, 225|¡|25 g) were randomly divided in t...

Long-term potentiation in the spinal dorsal horn requires peptidergic C-fibre activation in animals. Perceptual correlates of long-term potentiation following high-frequency electrical stimulation in humans include increased sensitivity to electrical stimuli at the high frequency stimulation site (homotopic pain-long-term potentiation) and increased sensitivity to pinprick surrounding the high ...

High-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the fimbria induces long-term potentiation (LTP) in the lateral septum. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of contextual fear conditioning on septal LTP with the use of behaving C57 BL/6 mice as subjects. For the acquisition of contextual fear conditioning, animals were placed in a conditioning chamber, where they were subjected to footshocks (F...

The hippocampal formation is a region of the forebrain that is important for memory and spatial navigation. On the basis of a vast amount of literature, the hippocampus is linked with long-term potentiation (LTP), the increased synaptic strength following repeated stimulation of the hippocampal neurons. LTP is considered to be the experimental demonstration of Hebb's postulate on synaptic stren...