Lecture

Synaptic Plasticity: Neuronal Dynamics

Graph Chat

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.

Description

This lecture by the instructor covers the topic of synaptic plasticity, focusing on short-term and long-term changes in synaptic connections. It delves into molecular and structural changes in synapses, as well as the classification of plasticity. The aim is to understand how synaptic plasticity enables learning and memory while avoiding homeostasis.

In MOOC

Neuronal Dynamics 2- Computational Neuroscience: Neuronal Dynamics of Cognition

This course gives an introduction to the field of theoretical and computational neuroscience with a focus on models of single neurons. Neurons encode information about stimuli in a sequence of short electrical pulses (spikes).

Official source

Related concepts (23)

Synaptic plasticity

In neuroscience, synaptic plasticity is the ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, in response to increases or decreases in their activity. Since memories are postulated to be represented by vastly interconnected neural circuits in the brain, synaptic plasticity is one of the important neurochemical foundations of learning and memory (see Hebbian theory). Plastic change often results from the alteration of the number of neurotransmitter receptors located on a synapse.

Spike-timing-dependent plasticity

Spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) is a biological process that adjusts the strength of connections between neurons in the brain. The process adjusts the connection strengths based on the relative timing of a particular neuron's output and input action potentials (or spikes). The STDP process partially explains the activity-dependent development of nervous systems, especially with regard to long-term potentiation and long-term depression.

Long-term depression

In neurophysiology, long-term depression (LTD) is an activity-dependent reduction in the efficacy of neuronal synapses lasting hours or longer following a long patterned stimulus. LTD occurs in many areas of the CNS with varying mechanisms depending upon brain region and developmental progress. As the opposing process to long-term potentiation (LTP), LTD is one of several processes that serves to selectively weaken specific synapses in order to make constructive use of synaptic strengthening caused by LTP.

Homeostatic plasticity

In neuroscience, homeostatic plasticity refers to the capacity of neurons to regulate their own excitability relative to network activity. The term homeostatic plasticity derives from two opposing concepts: 'homeostatic' (a product of the Greek words for 'same' and 'state' or 'condition') and plasticity (or 'change'), thus homeostatic plasticity means "staying the same through change". Homeostatic synaptic plasticity is a means of maintaining the synaptic basis for learning, respiration, and locomotion, in contrast to the Hebbian plasticity associated with learning and memory.

Long-term potentiation

In neuroscience, long-term potentiation (LTP) is a persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity. These are patterns of synaptic activity that produce a long-lasting increase in signal transmission between two neurons. The opposite of LTP is long-term depression, which produces a long-lasting decrease in synaptic strength. It is one of several phenomena underlying synaptic plasticity, the ability of chemical synapses to change their strength.

Related lectures (55)

Artificial Limbs: Neither Body nor Tool

Delves into the challenges of achieving full embodiment with artificial limbs and the importance of maintaining a sense of collective unity.

Introduction to synaptic plasticity MOOC: Simulating a hippocampus micro-circuit

Covers synaptic plasticity, types of synapses, Hebb's postulate, LTP, LTD, and network oscillations in the hippocampus.

Presynaptic dynamics: Short-term and long-term modulation MOOC: Cellular Mechanisms of Brain Function

Explores the modulation of presynaptic neurotransmitter release over different time scales through calcium-dependent mechanisms.

Classification of Plasticity: Short-term vs. Long-term Changes MOOC: Neuronal Dynamics 2- Computational Neuroscience: Neuronal Dynamics of Cognition

Explores short-term and long-term synaptic changes, Hebbian learning, and the role of neuromodulators.

Activating Synapses MOOC: Simulation Neurocience