COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF LONG-TERM DEPRESSION OF SYNAPTIC WEIGHTS: INSIGHTS FROM STDP, METAPLASTICITY AND SPONTANEOUS ACTIVITY

Using the STDP rule with metaplasticity, we show that to evoke long-term depression (LTD) or depotentiation of synaptic weights in the spiking model of granule cell is not easy. This is in accordance with a number of experimental studies. On the other hand, heterosynaptic LTD which accompanies hornosynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) is induced readily both in the model as well as in experiments. We offer possible explanation of these phenomena from STDP, metaplasticity and spontaneous activity. We suggest conditions under which it would be possible to induce homosynaptic LTD and depotentiation.