Publications by authors named "David J Froc"

A driver turning left and failing to notice an oncoming motorcyclist until too late is the most common cause of motorcycle collisions. Consequently, much previous research has focused on motorcycle properties, such as size, shape, and color to explain its inconspicuousness. However, collision statistics remain largely unchanged, suggesting that the issue may not be related solely to the motorcycle's static properties.

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We have reported that long-term potentiation (LTP) can be reliably induced in motor cortex of adult, freely moving rats by the application of spaced and repeated high frequency stimulating trains to the white matter. In the present study, we monitored field potentials (FPs) and LTP in both layer II/III and V in coronal slices of motor cortex taken from implanted control and previously potentiated Long-Evans rats. The baseline FP amplitudes were decreased in layer II/III, and the amplitude of small spikes was significantly increased in layer V in slices from previously potentiated rats compared to unpotentiated control rats.

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Bidirectional modifications in synaptic efficacy are central components in models of cortical learning and memory. More recently, the regulation of synaptic plasticity according to the history of synaptic activation, termed "metaplasticity," has become a focus of research on the physiology of memory. Here we explore such interactions between long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) in the chronically prepared rat.

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Adult male Long-Evans rats were administered the potent cannabinoid 1 receptor agonist HU-210 (100 microg/kg, i.p.) for 15 days continuously and their performance on a matching-to-place version of the Morris water maze was subsequently evaluated.

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Hippocampal slices obtained from C57BL/6 mice (3-25 mo) were used to investigate the effects of aging on excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) elicited in dentate gyrus with lateral perforant path stimulation. The maximal amplitude of the EPSP, as well as the degree of paired-pulse facilitation, was significantly reduced in animals aged 12 mo or more compared with younger animals (<12 mo). Although all animals showed equivalent short-term potentiation (STP) in response to high-frequency stimulation, this did not translate into a long-lasting increase in synaptic efficacy in the older animals.

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