A Brief History of Long-Term Potentiation
Open accessAbstract
Since the discovery of long-term potentiation (LTP) in 1973, thousands of papers have been published on this intriguing phenomenon, which provides a compelling cellular model for learning and memory. Although LTP has suffered considerable growing pains over the years, LTP has finally come of age. Here the rich history of LTP is reviewed. These are exciting times and the pace of discovery is remarkable.
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LTP is impaired in many rodent models of neurodegenerative disease.
“LTP is used as an indicator of healthy brain function and is impaired in many rodent models of neurodegenerative disease (Nicoll, 2017).”
From The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis (2019) · cites this paper as Nicoll, 2017
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is brief repetitive synaptic stimulation that results in long-lasting increases in synaptic strength.
“long-term potentiation (LTP), in which brief repetitive synaptic stimulation results in long-lasting increases in synaptic strength, was gaining popularity as a cellular model for learning and memory (16–22).”
From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [19]
LTP is pathway specific; neighboring inactive synapses fail to potentiate.
“LTP is pathway specific; neighboring inactive synapses fail to potentiate (19).”
From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [19]
The expression of NMDAR-dependent LTP is primarily postsynaptic, although a minor presynaptic component is difficult to entirely exclude.
“Although it is difficult to entirely exclude the possibility of a minor presynaptic component of NMDAR-dependent LTP, the evidence is overwhelming that its expression is primarily postsynaptic.”
From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [19]
NMDAR-dependent LTP has been most tightly associated with intact animal behavioral memory.
“Additionally, NMDAR-dependent LTP has been most tightly associated with intact animal behavioral memory (19, 43–46).”
From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [19]
The low Ca2+ affinity of CaMKII and its high Hill coefficient ensure maintenance of the synapse specificity and Hebbian nature of LTP.
“ensure maintenance of the synapse specificity and Hebbian nature of LTP (19).”
From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [19]
LTP expression is due to rapid postsynaptic accumulation of AMPARs.
“Thus, it is now generally accepted that LTP expression is due to the rapid postsynaptic accumulation of AMPARs.”
From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [19]
The number of NMDARs does not change during LTP, since constitutively active CaMKII does not affect the NMDAR EPSC and LTP is expressed primarily on the AMPAR.
“The number of NMDARs does not change, since constitutively active CaMKII does not affect the NMDAR EPSC (130–132) and LTP is expressed primarily on the AMPAR (19).”
From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [19]
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BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationReciprocal Activation within a Kinase-Effector Complex Underlying Persistence of Structural LTP
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“42 Hippocampal LTP was impaired in Ts65Dn mice compared to WT mice, which is consistent with previous studies.”
ResultSleep and memory: mechanisms and implications for psychiatry
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- Authors
- Nicoll, R. A.
- Affiliations
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Corresponding author
- Nicoll, Roger A.
- ORCID
- Nicoll, Roger A.
- Venue
- Neuron
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-01
- Volume
- 93
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 281-290
- ISSN
- 0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2574596077
- Cited by
- 841
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 51 · 2025: 95 · 2024: 96 · 2023: 101 · 2022: 117 · 2021: 111 · 2020: 82 · 2019: 69 · 2018: 93 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 9.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neuron (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Mental Health
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurology and Historical Studies
- Keywords
- long-term potentiation, history of neuroscience, synaptic plasticity, learning and memory
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Hippocampus, Humans, Memory, Neurosciences, Synapses, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Long-Term Potentiation, Pyramidal Cells, Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal, History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century, CA1 Region, Hippocampal, CA3 Region, Hippocampal
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