Abstract

Activity has an important role in refining synaptic connectivity during development, in part through 'Hebbian' mechanisms such as long-term potentiation and long-term depression. However, Hebbian plasticity is probably insufficient to explain activity-dependent development because it tends to destabilize the activity of neural circuits. How can complex circuits maintain stable activity states in the face of such destabilizing forces? An idea that is emerging from recent work is that average neuronal activity levels are maintained by a set of homeostatic plasticity mechanisms that dynamically adjust synaptic strengths in the correct direction to promote stability. Here we discuss evidence from a number of systems that homeostatic synaptic plasticity is crucial for processes ranging from memory storage to activity-dependent development.

Author affiliations

1. Department of Biology and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, USA.

Correspondence to: Gina G. Turrigiano¹ Email: turrigano@brandeis.edu

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.