We have developed an in vitro model of spreading depression (SD) in rat neocortex. KCI application induced a propagating wave of SD associated with a change of optical lucency and an extracellular negative wave. Both of these were abolished by aminophosphonovaleric acid (100 mu M), indicating SD's mediation by NMDA receptors. SD abolished synaptically-mediated field potentials in layer II and this depression was followed by a previously undescribed, sustained LTP-Like enhancement of transmission. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.