PRIMARY AFFERENT-EVOKED SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY IN DEEP DORSAL HORN NEURONS FROM NEONATAL RAT SPINAL-CORD IN-VITRO

Whole-cell patch clamp recordings of deep dorsal horn neurons were und ertaken in 'thick' transverse slices to demonstrate plasticity of prim ary afferent-evoked synaptic responses following conditioning stimulat ion. Synaptic plasticity was observed in neurons throughout the age ra nge examined (postnatal days 3-6 and 9-16) but only long-term depressi on (LTD) was evocable in older animals (P9-16). Both short- and long-l atency synaptic responses could undergo long-term potentiation (LTP) a nd LTD suggesting that AMPA/kainate and NMDA receptor-evoked responses are modifiable. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.