A Cellular Mechanism of Classical Conditioning in Aplysia : Activity-Dependent Amplification of Presynaptic Facilitation

• DOI: 10.1126/science.6294833
• Publication Date: 2006-10-05T18:37:18Z
• Authors: R. D. Hawkins; T. W. Abrams; T. J. Carew; E. R. Kandel
• Keywords: Aplysia; Facilitation; Neural facilitation; Stimulus (psychology); Sensory neuron

A training procedure analogous to differential classical conditioning produces facilitation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP's) in the neuronal circuit for siphon withdrawal reflex Aplysia . Thus, tail shock (the unconditioned stimulus) greater monosynaptic EPSP from a sensory neuron motor if is preceded by spike activity than and occur specifically unpaired pattern or occurs alone. Further experiments indicate that this activity-dependent amplification presynaptic origin involves increase duration thus Ca 2+ influx paired versus neurons. The results these cellular are quantitatively similar behavioral with same protocol parameters, suggesting may make significant contribution reflex.