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An inhibitory gate for state transition in cortex.

Stefano Zucca1,2, Giulia D'Urso1,2, Valentina Pasquale3

  • 1Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.

Elife
|May 17, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Inhibition powerfully controls brain activity states by regulating transitions between active and silent periods. Specific interneuron types, like parvalbumin and somatostatin cells, precisely gate these crucial cortical state changes.

Keywords:
Neocortexmouseneuroscienceparvalbumin positive interneuronsomatostatin positive interneuronup and down states

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cortical circuit dynamics
  • Brain state transitions

Background:

  • Cortical activity states (up and down) are vital for brain function during wakefulness and sleep.
  • The role of inhibitory interneurons in regulating these state transitions remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how inhibitory cells regulate transitions between active and silent cortical states.
  • To identify specific interneuron populations involved in gating these state changes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized fluorescence-targeted electrophysiology and cell-specific optogenetics in mice.
  • Manipulated parvalbumin (PV) and somatostatin (SST) positive interneurons.
  • Recorded neuronal activity in anesthetized and awake conditions.

Main Results:

  • Parvalbumin and somatostatin interneurons tightly control both up-to-down and down-to-up cortical state transitions.
  • Inhibitory regulation of state transitions is interneuron-type specific.
  • Local interneuron manipulation impacts cortical activity at mesoscopic scales (millimeters).

Conclusions:

  • Inhibitory circuits potently gate transitions between cortical activity states.
  • Revealed specific cellular mechanisms underlying mesoscale regulation of brain states by local interneurons.