Consolidation qualitatively relies on synaptic strength and temporal protocol.

<p>(<b>A</b>) The global activation signal (, ) induces the recovery of those synaptic weights which are above the bifurcation threshold (LTS-regime; dashed line). For synapses just under the threshold consolidation mildly decreases the weights. Decrease arises from the network inhibition (network as in <a href="http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003307#pcbi-1003307-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1 A</a>). (<b>B</b>) Recovery of weights occurs only if the consolidation stimulus occurs early enough (C1; upper panel). When the stimulus is too late (C2; lower panel), weights have dropped into the STS-regime and cannot be recovered. (<b>C</b>) Weight recovery is robust to changes of interval and duration of the consolidation signal (, and ). For intervals up to 24 h relatively short consolidation signals – either delivered as one or as many pulses – suffice for recovery.