[Verse 1]
Milliseconds flash like lightning strikes
Sodium channels open, then they spike
But milliseconds fade like morning mist
Long-term potentiation must persist
Hebb proposed in nineteen forty-nine
Neurons that fire together, intertwine
"Cells that play together, stay together"
Synaptic bonds grow stronger through each tether
[Chorus]
Timescales dancing, micro to macro
Hebb to STDP, then three-factor flow
BCM refines what came before
Dendrites compute at synaptic shore
Local tags marking, transient to lasting
Plasticity's rhythm, forever contrasting
From milliseconds up to lifetime's glow
Dendrites orchestrate the learning show
[Verse 2]
STDP brought timing to the game
Pre before post, or post takes the blame
Twenty milliseconds make the difference
Causality matters for coherence
But correlation without context fails
Dopamine signals when learning prevails
Three-factor rule adds that crucial third
Neuromodulator spreads the word
[Chorus]
Timescales dancing, micro to macro
Hebb to STDP, then three-factor flow
BCM refines what came before
Dendrites compute at synaptic shore
Local tags marking, transient to lasting
Plasticity's rhythm, forever contrasting
From milliseconds up to lifetime's glow
Dendrites orchestrate the learning show
[Bridge]
Bienenstock, Cooper, Munro saw the flaw
Sliding threshold breaks correlation's law
Frequency matters, not just coincidence
BCM prevents runaway violence
Homeostatic balance keeps things tight
Dendrites branch like circuits in the night
[Verse 3]
Plasticity's computed where it counts
Local dendrites calculate amounts
No central processor calls the shots
Synaptic junctions connect the dots
Tags transform the fleeting into permanent
Molecular switches, memory's commitment
From spine to soma, branches decide
Which memories live and which subside
[Verse 4]
Calcium waves cascade through dendritic trees
NMDA receptors hold the learning keys
Protein synthesis follows tagged sites
While weaker synapses fade from sight
Compartments process input streams apart
Each branch segment plays its vital part
Nonlinear integration breaks the mold
New stories written, new patterns told
[Outro]
Fast adaptation for the moment's need
Slower learning plants tomorrow's seed
Lifetime changes carve our neural maps
Dendritic wisdom fills the synaptic gaps
[Final Chorus]
Timescales dancing, micro to macro
Hebb to STDP, then three-factor flow
BCM refines what came before
Dendrites compute at synaptic shore
Local tags marking, transient to lasting
Plasticity's rhythm, forever contrasting
From milliseconds up to lifetime's glow
Dendrites orchestrate the learning show