long-term potentiation
LONG-term poh-ten-shee-AY-shun
lɒŋ tɜːrm pəˌtɛnʃiˈeɪʃənListen
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Dictionary meaning
a long-lasting strengthening of synaptic transmission between neurons that follows repeated or strong activation of the synapse; considered the primary cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory; depends on the activation of NMDA receptors and the insertion of AMPA receptors into the postsynaptic membrane, increasing the synapse's responsiveness to future stimulation; first described by Timothy Bliss and Terje Lømo in 1973 in the rabbit hippocampus and now understood to be a universal feature of Hebbian learning throughout the nervous system
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