Nonsynaptic plasticity In comparison, nonsynaptic plasticity is a less well known and somewhat new and ongoing field of research in neuroscience. It is manifested through changes in the characteristics of nonsynaptic structures such as the soma (biology), the axon, or the dendrites. Nonsynaptic plasticity can have short-term or long-term effects. One way these changes occur is through modification of voltage-gated channels in the dendrites and axon, which changes the interpretation of excitatory or inhibitory potentials propagated to the cell. For example, axonal nonsynaptic plasticity can be observed when an action potential fails to reach the presynaptic terminal due to low conduction or buildup of ions. Synergistic effects General excitatory effects Nonsynaptic and synaptic plasticity have been shown to work concurrently in a variety of ways to produce stimulating effects in the neuron. This includes spike generation, a product of nonsynaptic regulation of potassium and other presynaptic ion channels, which increase the response of the excitatory postsynaptic potential through neurotransmitter release and augmentation of the action potential. Nonsynaptic dendritic plasticity also adds to the effects of synaptic plasticity through widening of the action potential. As will be discussed further, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) is produced by neurons to coordinate nonsynaptic and synaptic plasticity. Nonsynaptic changes in the somal body, axon, or dendrites of the neuron are inextricably linked to synaptic strength. Integration in memory and learning Although much more is known about the role of synaptic plasticity in memory and learning, both synaptic and nonsynaptic plasticity are essential to memory and learning in the brain. There is much evidence that the two mechanisms both work to achieve the observed effects synergistically. A key example of this is memory formation in the synapse, in which modification of presynaptic release mechanisms and postsynaptic receptors affects either long-term potentiation or depression. Continuous somal depolarization, on the other hand, has been proposed as a method for learned behavior and memory by nonsynaptic plasticity. Nonsynaptic plasticity also augments the effectiveness of synaptic memory formation by regulation of voltage-gated ion channels. Nonsynaptic plasticity is the mechanism responsible for modifications of these channels in the axon, leading to a change in strength of the neuronal action potential, invariably affecting the strength of synaptic mechanisms, and thus the depth and length of memory encoding. Regulation of synaptic plasticity Nonsynaptic plasticity also has the ability to regulate the effects of synaptic plasticity through negative feedback mechanisms. Change in the number