Correlations between electrophysiological observations of synaptic plasticity modifications and behavioral performance in mammals

Within the past century it has been well established that most mature neuro ns lose their ability to divide. Since then, it ha?; been assumed that beha vioral performance leads to synaptic changes in the brain, The existence of these potential changes has been demonstrated in numerous experiments, and different mechanisms contributing to synaptic plasticity have been discove red, Many structures involved in different types of learning have now been identified. This article reviews the different methods used with mammals to detect elec trophysiological modifications in synaptic plasticity following behavior. Evidence of long-term potentiation and long-term depression has been found in the hippocampus and cerebellum, respectively, and empirical data has bee n used to correlate these mechanisms with specific learning performance. Si milar observations were made recently in the septum and amygdala. These phe nomena seem to be involved in maintaining the performance in thr cortical a reas of the brain. Ongoing attempts to find the relationship between behavioral performance an d modifications in synaptic efficacy allow to speculate upon the dynamics o f cellular mechanisms that contribute to the ability of mammals to modify w ide neuronal networks in the brain during their life. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence Ltd. All rights reserved.