LECTURE 8

Vocabulary flashcards covering short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity, behavioral plasticity in Aplysia, habituation, sensitization, and presynaptic mechanisms.

Facilitation

A form of short-term synaptic plasticity induced by paired presynaptic AP within a few milliseconds, causing an increase in synaptic strength for tens of milliseconds through $\text{Ca}^{2+}$ accumulation that increases transmitter release.

Depression (Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity)

A form of short-term synaptic plasticity induced by high-frequency tetanus, causing a decrease in synaptic strength for hundreds of milliseconds due to depletion of synaptic vesicles causing decreased transmitter release.

Augmentation

A form of short-term synaptic plasticity induced by high-frequency tetanus, causing an increase in synaptic strength for hundreds of milliseconds to seconds through $\text{Ca}^{2+}$ accumulation that increases transmitter release.

Post-Tetanic Potentiation (PTP)

A form of short-term synaptic plasticity induced by high-frequency tetanus, causing an increase in synaptic strength for tens of seconds to minutes through $\text{Ca}^{2+}$ accumulation that increases transmitter release.

Habituation

A process that causes the animal to become less responsive to repeated occurrences of a stimulus.

Sensitization

A process that allows an animal to generalize an aversive response elicited by a noxious stimulus to a variety of other, non-noxious stimuli.

Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity

Changes in synaptic strength that persist for more than $30\,\text{minutes}$, potentially lasting days, weeks, or even longer.

Presynaptic Plasticity in Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity

The property wherein all four forms of short-term synaptic plasticity involve changes in neurotransmitter release occurring on the presynaptic side.

Shorter-Lasting Forms of Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity

Forms of long-term synaptic plasticity that typically involve post-translational modifications of existing proteins.

Long-Lasting Forms of Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity

Forms of long-term synaptic plasticity that typically require changes in gene expression and new protein synthesis.

Duration Order of Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity

The relative timescale relationship among short-term synaptic plasticity forms: $\text{facilitation} < \text{Depression} \cong \text{augmentation} < \text{potentiation}$.

Summary of Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity Chart

A reference table summarizing induction, synaptic strength, duration, and underlying presynaptic mechanisms for facilitation, depression, augmentation, and post-tetanic potentiation (PTP).