On Beyond LTP

On Beyond LTP

In a challenging and insightful commentary, Sanes and Lichtman (1999) courageously point out in print what has often been discussed at recent meetings: LTP seems to have lost its usefulness as a paradigm for studying synaptic plasticity, much less learning and memory. The authors then offer two broad explanations for the current profusion (and confusion) of potential molecular mechanisms for LT...

LTP: GluN2B on the go.

LTP, the lasting increase in synaptic transmission following heightened activity, is viewed as the physiological basis of learning. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Dupuis et al find that certain NMDARs diffuse away upon LTP. Antibodies against the NMDAR from patients with autoimmune synaptic encephalitis prevent this redistribution and LTP.

Synaptic plasticity: hippocampal LTP.

One of the most intensively studied forms of synaptic plasticity is long-term potentiation (LTP). The past year has seen further evidence advanced on both sides of the presynaptic/postsynaptic locus of expression debate, without an obvious path to reconcile the two views. Real progress has been made, however, in clarifying the possible role of nitric oxide as a retrograde messenger and the cell...

LTP may trigger addiction.

Differing classes of abused drugs utilize different mechanisms of molecular pharmacological action yet the overuse of these same drugs frequently leads to the same outcome: addiction. Similarly, episodes of stress can lead to drug-seeking behaviors and relapse in recovering addicts. To overcome the labor-intensive headache of having to design a specific addiction-breaking intervention tailored ...

Exploration of Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)-like Pain Amplification and Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM) on Pain-LTP in Humans