Long Term Potentiation As A Mechanism For Learning And Memory

Authors

1 Physiology Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

2 Physiology and Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

Abstract

Since the 1970s when long term potentiation (LTP) was introduced to the scientific world; several studies have been devoted to determining whether this phenomenon is naturally a basic mechanism of learning and memory in mammalian brains. However, plenty of evidence confirms that a) LTP is inducible in the circuits involved in learning and memory; b) common receptors and intracellular cascades are recruited in both memory and synaptic plasticity and c) LTP and memory are similarly affected by many parameters such as: ligands, environmental signals, history of neuronal activity. Despite this, contradictory reports exist which oppose the similarities between LTP and memory. In this paper we briefly introduce learning, memory and LTP, and argue relevant factors that possibly connect them. Ultimately, current considerations lead one to conclude that the time is too early to judge clearly if LTP is a real mechanism of learning and memory.

Keywords