We introduce and summarize reviews and research papers by speakers at a discussion meeting on 'Long-term potentiation: 50 years on' held at the Royal Society, London, on 20-21 November 2023. The meeting followed earlier discussion meetings marking the 30th and 40th anniversaries of the discovery of long-term potentiation. These new contributions give an overview of current research and controversies in a vibrant branch of neuroscience with important implications for our understanding of the neurobiological basis of many forms of learning and memory and a wide spectrum of neurological and cognitive disorders.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Long-term potentiation: 50 years on'.
Keywords: LTP; cognitive disorders; learning; long-term depression; long-term potentiation; memory; synaptic plasticity.