The role of synaptic ion channels in synaptic plasticity

The nervous system receives a large amount of information about the environment through elaborate sensory routes. Processing and integration of these wide‐ranging inputs often results in long‐term behavioural alterations as a result of past experiences. These relatively permanent changes in behaviou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:EMBO reports 2006-11, Vol.7 (11), p.1104-1110
Main Authors: Voglis, Giannis, Tavernarakis, Nektarios
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acetylcholine
Animals
Cellular biology
EMBO27
GABA
Humans
Ion Channels - metabolism
Ion Channels - physiology
Ions
Learning
Learning - physiology
long-term potentiation
Memory
Memory - physiology
Models, Neurological
Molecular biology
Neuronal Plasticity
Neurons
neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitters
NMDA
Physiology
Plasticity
Rats
Receptors, Neurotransmitter - metabolism
Receptors, Neurotransmitter - physiology
Review
Synapses - metabolism
Synapses - physiology
Synaptic Transmission
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Summary:The nervous system receives a large amount of information about the environment through elaborate sensory routes. Processing and integration of these wide‐ranging inputs often results in long‐term behavioural alterations as a result of past experiences. These relatively permanent changes in behaviour are manifestations of the capacity of the nervous system for learning and memory. At the cellular level, synaptic plasticity is one of the mechanisms underlying this process. Repeated neural activity generates physiological changes in the nervous system that ultimately modulate neuronal communication through synaptic transmission. Recent studies implicate both presynaptic and postsynaptic ion channels in the process of synapse strength modulation. Here, we review the role of synaptic ion channels in learning and memory, and discuss the implications and significance of these findings towards deciphering the molecular biology of learning and memory.
ISSN:1469-221X
1469-3178
1469-221X
DOI:10.1038/sj.embor.7400830