Mini-reviewNeurotransmitter roles in synaptic modulation, plasticity and learning in the dorsal striatum
Section snippets
Neurotransmitters in striatum: it's a jungle in there
The striatum is the major input nucleus of the basal ganglia, and as such it plays a crucial role in action control and action learning (Saint-Cyr et al., 1995, Graybiel, 1998, Lalonde and Botez-Marquard, 1997, Yin and Knowlton, 2006). These roles are accomplished via striatal generation of neuronal activity that initiates and terminates action sequences, processing of afferent inputs that influence this activity, and controlling the activity of downstream efferent target nuclei through
Short-term modulation of striatal synaptic transmission
Neuromodulation strongly impacts striatal function, and deficits in this more subtle type of synaptic communication play key roles in neurological disorders involving this brain region. A strong dopaminergic afferent input from the substantia nigra pars compacta innervates MSNs and striatal interneurons. The midbrain neurons that give rise to this input degenerate in Parkinson's disease, and it is clear that loss of dopaminergic input causes hypokinesia and other facets of this disorder.
Striatal LTP
Studies from a number of laboratories over the last 15–20 years have revealed two predominant forms of long-lasting synaptic plasticity at glutamatergic striatal synapses: long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) (see Kreitzer and Malenka, 2008, Wickens, 2009 for review) (Fig. 1). Striatal LTP is a long-lasting increase in the efficacy of glutamatergic synapses that is observed mainly at corticostriatal synapses (Charpier and Deniau, 1997, Calabresi et al., 1992c). Ideas
Synaptic plasticity in striatal-based learning and memory
It has long been known that the striatum, including the dorsal striatum, plays critical roles in learning and memory. Early studies implicated the dorsal striatum in response-based learning and instrumental conditioning (Divac et al., 1967, Konorski, 1967). More recent studies using excitotoxic lesions, neurochemical approaches, and direct measurement of striatal neuronal activity in vivo have revealed roles for the dorsal striatum in skill learning, response-based learning, and instrumental
Summary
Modulation of synaptic transmission either over the short- or long-term is a prominent mechanism for controlling striatal output, as activity of the MSN projection neurons is strongly influenced by their synaptic inputs. Electrophysiological studies have now established two prominent forms of long-lasting synaptic plasticity in striatum, LTP and LTD, as well as several forms of short-lasting synaptic modulation. The molecular mechanisms of these forms of plasticity are still being determined.
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