Theta-Burst LTP in the Dorsal Striatum: Its Development and Use to Illuminate Stratal Dynamics Underlying Skill Learning, and the Aberrant Learning Behind Addiction

Abstract

Corticostriatal plasticity facilitates action selection and skill learning through dynamic enhancement (“long term potentiation” or LTP) and reduction (“long term depression” or LTD) in communication strength between neurons. Striatal primary neurons are divided into two classes: motor-enhancing “direct” and motor-suppressing “indirect” pathway neurons. The regulation of plasticity in these two classes is critical because pathway imbalance is a noted feature in Parkinson’s disease, and strong class-specific plasticity accompanies exposure to drugs of abuse. Thus, it is important to understand striatal plasticity not only to identify neural learning mechanisms, but also because dysregulation of plasticity processes serving learning contributes to disease states.