The synapse and brain function

Understanding learning and memory in the brain is a major challenge in neuroscience. The most popular and well-documented underlying cellular mechanism of memory is the concept of changing synaptic weight between pre- and postsynaptic transmission in the nerve cell. This theory was introduced by Donald Hebb's [1] postulate and later experimentally tested in rodent models by Bliss and Lomo in 1973 [1], [2]. Nearly 40 years after this experimental demonstration of synaptic plasticity, research is dominantly focused on furthering the understanding of synaptic structure and function. Whilst there is still some distance to go, significant progress has been made to bridge the gap between theory and fact.