A new review in Nature Reviews Neuroscience by Kerchner & Nicoll
Nat Rev Neurosci, vol 9, Nov 2008

* silent synapses about in the young brain
* they were discovered in the debate over the presynaptic vs. postsynaptic locus of LTP
* silent synapses are thought to have NMDA receptors but not AMPA receptors
* mechanistic controversy: current model is that unsilencing recruits AMPARs to postsynaptic terminal, so that there are both NMDARs and AMPARs, resulting in a fully functioning synapse
* some synapses are incapable of neurotransmission under basal conditions, wait in a reserv capacity
* silent synapse: unable to mediate synaptic transmission under physiological conditions

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