Long-Term Potentiation and Memory

Abstract

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is an enduring change in synaptic efficacy at monosynaptic junctions in the mammalian brain. LTP was first observed in the hippocampus, in area CAI and the dentate gyrus. The link between LTP and hippocampus is well established and suggests a role for LTP in learning and memory, as is widely hypothesized for the hippocampus. LTP is considered a potential candidate for the neural basis of long-term information storage (memory) in the brain. The establishment of LTP requires tetanic stimulation of afferent fibers and typically involves a doubling of the postsynaptic population response. LTP is best represented in the limbic forebrain, particularly hippocampus, where it has been shown to endure for periods ranging from days to weeks.