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Stress, hippocampal plasticity, and spatial learning
Author(s) -
Garcia René
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
synapse
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.809
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1098-2396
pISSN - 0887-4476
DOI - 10.1002/syn.1040
Subject(s) - metaplasticity , neuroscience , long term potentiation , hippocampal formation , hippocampus , synaptic plasticity , ltp induction , psychology , biology , excitatory postsynaptic potential , biochemistry , receptor , inhibitory postsynaptic potential
During the last two decades numerous studies have been conducted in an attempt to correlate the mechanisms of long‐term potentiation (LTP) of hippocampal synaptic transmission with those required for spatial memory formation in the hippocampus. Because stressful events block the induction of hippocampal LTP, it has been suggested that deficits in spatial learning following stress may be related to suppression of LTP‐like phenomena in the hippocampus. Here I review these studies and discuss them in light of the emerging view that stress may induce changes in thresholds for synaptic plasticity necessary for both LTP induction and spatial memory formation. This phenomenon, known as metaplasticity, may involve a glucocorticoid modulation of calcium homeostasis. Synapse 40:180–183, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.