The scientific objectives of this international project are:

1. To study neuronal mechanisms of synaptic plasticity underlying later phases of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) using quantitative methods of analysis of synaptic responses (including component and quantal analysis) and morphological methods; to test the hypothesis on different involvement of various mechanisms based on presynaptic, postsynaptic and structural modifications to maintain different LTP phases;
2. To test whether the critical period for induction of thalamo-cortical LTP in the somatosensory cortex depends on changes in intrinsic properties of the respective synapses or on changes in synaptic circuitry including the afferentation from "reinforcing/modulatory" inputs; to select the best conditions for neocortical LTP induction (either in the thalamo-cortical or intrinsic neocortical connections);
3. To study mechanisms of synaptic plasticity underlying induction of neocortical LTP.

Partners:

• J.U Frey (project leader), Leibniz-Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg , Germany
• E. Welker, Univ. Lausanne, Switzerland
• M. Sokolov, Brain Res. Inst. Moscow , Russia
• V. Ezrokhi, Inst. of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology Moscow , Russia
• A. Sukhov, Rostov-on-Don State University , Russia