Hi, I have a question on LTP and LTD. What is the relationship between LTP and LTD??? How do they support each other??
My teacher said that LTD help to utilize brain resource due to pruining the unused connection so there will be more resources available for LTP to strengthen the important connection. However, when I watch Edrolo, the lady mention something about how LTP just can strengthen the connection to a certain level. In other to maintain and further strengthen the connection, LTD need to weaken it first then LTP can take place. Which one is correct???
I think your teacher has a good point, and Edrolo isn't wrong.
The effect of LTP is a "strengthening" of the synapse, which in effect makes that pathway easier to activate. (Edrolo is right)
The effect of LDP is a "weakening" of the synapse, which as your teacher says, 'prunes' unneeded synapses.
It could be that your teacher is right in that it frees up resources.
However, I would think about it like this:
Let's say I remember the quadratic formula as \begin{array}{*{20}c} {x = \frac{{ - b \pm \sqrt {a^2 - 4ac} }}{{2b}}} \end{array}
This is obviously incorrect, but I used it so much that LTP takes place and the semantic memory of the incorrect formula is strengthened.
My teacher notices, and tells me the actual formula is: \begin{array}{*{20}c} {x = \frac{{ - b \pm \sqrt {b^2 - 4ac} }}{{2a}}} \end{array}
So, if LTD did not exist, no matter how hard I tried, I will be stuck with always remembering the
incorrect formula first, right?
Therefore, LTD is necessary to 'forget' a faulty or incorrect memory, and allows LTP to strengthen the new, correct memory.
Therefore, you might see that LTD and LTP work together to correct our mistakes, change the way we think, adapt to our changing environment and remove conflicting and competing information that hinders our potential growth.
Good luck!