2D Synaptic Plasticity

• Synaptic plasticity is the process of neuroplasticity at a single cell level
• Synaptic plasticity enables synaptic connections to change over time in response to activity or experience
• Long-term potentiation (LTP) is the increase in synaptic strength through high frequency stimulation of the neural pathway
• Hebb's rule (1949): 'Cells that fire together, wire together'
• Long-term potentiation (LTP) is the long-lasting and experience-dependent strengthening of synaptic connections that are regularly activated
• Long-term depression (LTD) is the reduction of the efficiency of synaptic connections
• Long-term depression (LTD) is the long-lasting and experience-dependent weakening of synaptic connections between neurons that are not regularly activated
• Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change itself as a result of experience
• Developmental plasticity occurs naturally across the lifespan, with certain critical periods enabling greater developmental plasticity
• Adaptive plasticity occurs as a result of brain damage or trauma, utilizing critical periods for developmental plasticity to enable greater adaptive plasticity
• Neural processes that enable synaptic plasticity are sprouting, rerouting, and pruning
• Sprouting involves the creation of new connections between neurons
• Rerouting involves re-establishing neural connections by creating alternate pathways
• Pruning involves removing old neural connections that are not adequately activated