Intermediate-term memory is a state between working memory and long-term memory. After encoding, an item can be maintained in an active state through spiking activity. Short-term synaptic plasticity (STSP) allows information to be recovered if it temporarily drops out of the focus of attention. STSP also initiates the process of creating a stable memory, which requires longer-lasting processes like gene transcription. Finally, long-term synaptic plasticity (LTSP) creates stable long-term memories. Whenever information in working memory switch state to a latent form, the process of encoding it to long-term memories can be stopped in every stage and information is lost; however, if the process continues, the memory can be brought back to the active state.