Sketch illustrating structural plasticity during learning and memory formation. The sketch illustrates the dynamic remodeling of synaptic connectivity through dendritic spine turnover. Left: Under baseline conditions, synaptic networks exhibit continuous formation and elimination of dendritic spines, reflecting ongoing structural plasticity. Middle: During learning or learning related activity, this baseline turnover is transiently increased, leading to enhanced formation and pruning of synaptic contacts. Newly formed spines preferentially emerge near previously activated synapses, promoting the local clustering of synaptic inputs and enabling adaptive rewiring of circuits. Right: A subset of newly formed and activated synapses becomes selectively stabilized, providing a structural substrate for the long term retention of behaviorally relevant connections and memory traces. Source: Bernardinelli, Y., Nikonenko, I., Muller, D., Structural plasticity: mechanisms and contribution to developmental psychiatric disorders, Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 2014, 8:123, DOI 10.3389/fnana.2014.00123ꜛ (license: CC BY 4.0).

Simulation results of the structural plasticity model. The plot shows the temporal evolution of the mean calcium concentration of excitatory and inhibitory neurons (blue and red lines, respectively) and the total number of connections of excitatory and inhibitory neurons (magenta and black dashed lines, respectively). The horizontal lines represent the growth curves for excitatory (blue) and inhibitory (red) neurons. The model demonstrates how the network’s connectivity changes over time based on the calcium concentration in the neurons. The growth curves determine the threshold at which synapses are created or pruned.

Sketch illustrating structural plasticity during learning and memory formation. The sketch illustrates the dynamic remodeling of synaptic connectivity through dendritic spine turnover. Left: Under baseline conditions, synaptic networks exhibit continuous formation and elimination of dendritic spines, reflecting ongoing structural plasticity. Middle: During learning or learning related activity, this baseline turnover is transiently increased, leading to enhanced formation and pruning of synaptic contacts. Newly formed spines preferentially emerge near previously activated synapses, promoting the local clustering of synaptic inputs and enabling adaptive rewiring of circuits. Right: A subset of newly formed and activated synapses becomes selectively stabilized, providing a structural substrate for the long term retention of behaviorally relevant connections and memory traces. Source: Bernardinelli, Y., Nikonenko, I., Muller, D., Structural plasticity: mechanisms and contribution to developmental psychiatric disorders, Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 2014, 8:123, DOI 10.3389/fnana.2014.00123ꜛ (license: CC BY 4.0).

Simulation results of the structural plasticity model. The plot shows the temporal evolution of the mean calcium concentration of excitatory and inhibitory neurons (blue and red lines, respectively) and the total number of connections of excitatory and inhibitory neurons (magenta and black dashed lines, respectively). The horizontal lines represent the growth curves for excitatory (blue) and inhibitory (red) neurons. The model demonstrates how the network’s connectivity changes over time based on the calcium concentration in the neurons. The growth curves determine the threshold at which synapses are created or pruned.