Synaptic Depression

Activity at synapses can lead to changes in the amplitudes of synaptic currents and potentials. This article focuses on short-term decreases in amplitude, which are generally termed depression. Depression appears to arise from at least three major processes: presynaptic vesicle depletion, postsynaptic receptor desensitization, and postsynaptic receptor saturation. Additional processes have been implicated in certain situations. It is not yet clear how depression affects the processing of information in the nervous system, though some potential computational effects have been described.