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VICPsychologyQuick questions
Unit 3: How does experience affect behaviour and mental processes?
Quick questions on Synaptic plasticity, LTP and LTD: VCE Psychology Unit 3
3short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is long-term potentiation?Show answer
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is the long-lasting strengthening of synaptic connections that results from the repeated, high-frequency stimulation of a synapse. When a presynaptic neuron repeatedly and persistently activates a postsynaptic neuron, the connection between them becomes more efficient, so that future signals pass across the synapse more easily.
What is long-term depression?Show answer
Long-term depression (LTD) is the long-lasting weakening of synaptic connections that results from low-frequency stimulation or from connections that are no longer used. LTD reduces the efficiency of a synapse, making it harder for a signal to pass across.
What are the structural changes?Show answer
Plasticity produces three observable changes in the physical structure of neurons.
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