Theta reset produces optimal conditions for long-term potentiation.

Connections among theta rhythm, long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory in hippocampus are suggested by previous research, but definitive links are yet to be established. We investigated the hypothesis that resetting of local hippocampal theta to relevant stimuli in a working memory task produces optimal conditions for induction of LTP. The timings of the peak and trough of the first wave of reset theta were determined in initial sessions and used to time stimulation (4 pulses, 200 Hz) during subsequent performance. Stimulation on the peak of stimulus-reset theta produced LTP while stimulation on the trough did not. These results suggest that a memory-relevant stimulus produces a phase shift of ongoing theta rhythm that induces optimal conditions for the stimulus to undergo potentiation.