[All together now: long term potentiation in the human cortex]. / Potenciación a largo plazo en la corteza humana.

INTRODUCTION: Long term potentiation (LTP) is defined as a long-lasting enhancement in communication between two neurons after the delivery of high frequency trains of electrical stimulation. This adjustment in synaptic efficacy is the physiological process that sustains learning and memory. However, few studies have addressed the existence of a similar phenomenon in the human cortex, even though it has been investigated for more than 30 years using animal models. DEVELOPMENT: The present review illustrates the state of the LTP-like phenomenon recently described in humans, and the possibility of ascribing the known mechanisms of LTP to the human cortex. CONCLUSIONS: A detailed knowledge of synaptic plasticity in the human cortex will facilitate a smooth translation of a wealth of physiological and molecular information and will have a major impact in the development and design of pharmacological agents intended as cognitive enhancers. We argue for the need of more focused experimental research on this particularly important area of neuroplasticity.

Potenciación a largo plazo en la corteza humana / All together now: long term potentiation in the human cortex

Introducción. La potenciación a largo plazo –long term potentiation (LTP)– se define como un aumento duradero en la comunicación sináptica entre dos neuronas como consecuencia de una estimulación eléctrica de alta frecuencia. Este ajuste en la eficacia sináptica es el proceso fisiológico que sustenta el aprendizaje y la memoria. Sin embargo, aunque este fenómeno se ha investigado durante más de 30 años en modelos animales, son pocos los estudios que han evaluado la existencia de este mismo fenómeno en la corteza humana. Desarrollo. La presente revisión pretende ilustrar el estado del fenómeno de la LTP recientemente descrito en humanos y la posibilidad de atribuir los mecanismos de la LTP descritos en modelos animales a la corteza humana. Conclusión. Un conocimiento detallado de la plasticidad sináptica facilitaría la traducción de una gran cantidad de información fisiológica y molecular y produciría un importante impacto en el diseño y el desarrollo de agentes farmacológicos planteados para mejorar distintos procesos cognitivos. Finalmente, se reconoce la necesidad de investigar en mayor profundidad esta área particularmente importante de la neuroplasticidad (AU)

Introduction. Long term potentiation (LTP) is defined as a long-lasting enhancement in communication between two neurons after the delivery of high frequency trains of electrical stimulation. This adjustment in synaptic efficacy is the physiological process that sustains learning and memory. However, few studies have addressed the existence of a similar phenomenon in the human cortex, even though it has been investigated for more than 30 years using animal models. Development. The present review illustrates the state of the LTP-like phenomenon recently described in humans, and the possibility of ascribing the known mechanisms of LTP to the human cortex. Conclusions. A detailed knowledge of synaptic plasticity in the human cortex will facilitate a smooth translation of a wealth of physiological and molecular information and will have a major impact in the development and design of pharmacological agents intended as cognitive enhancers. We argue for the need of more focused experimental research on this particularly important area of neuroplasticity (AU)