Nature Communications (Nov 2016)

Dendritic NMDA spikes are necessary for timing-dependent associative LTP in CA3 pyramidal cells

  • Federico Brandalise,
  • Stefano Carta,
  • Fritjof Helmchen,
  • John Lisman,
  • Urs Gerber

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13480
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Back-propagating action potentials (bAP) and NMDA dendritic spikes have both been linked to long-term plasticity (LTP) induction, though it is unclear which factors are essential. Here, using electrophysiology and Ca2+imaging, the authors find NMDA spikes are a key initiator of LTP, and that bAP contribution occurs via NMDA spike triggering.