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Comment
. 2016 Nov 1;80(9):e73-e75.
doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.09.002. Epub 2016 Sep 8.

Synaptic Plasticity: The Role of Learning and Unlearning in Addiction and Beyond

Alejandro Ramirez  1 , Melissa R Arbuckle  2
Affiliations
Comment

Synaptic Plasticity: The Role of Learning and Unlearning in Addiction and Beyond

Alejandro Ramirez et al. Biol Psychiatry. .
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures

All authors report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Anatomy of a synapse: axons from neuron A connect to dendrites from neuron B at microscopic connections called a synapse, shown magnified at right. Components of the presynaptic bouton (red) include neurotransmitter glutamate packaged into vesicles. The postsynaptic membrane (blue) has both α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. (B) Long-term potentiation. Step 1: neuron A fires and releases glutamate, which then opens AMPA receptors, depolarizing the postsynaptic membrane. Magnesium is repulsed from NMDA receptors, priming them for activation. Step 2: neuron B fires and releases glutamate, which then opens NMDA receptors allowing calcium to enter the postsynaptic neuron. Calcium leads to a complex signaling cascade and the eventual incorporation of more AMPA receptors at the postsynaptic membrane. Step 3: with more AMPA receptors at the postsynaptic membrane, the synapse is potentiated. Next time neuron B fires, the response at the postsynaptic membrane will be stronger.
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