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Prefrontal Interneurons: Populations, Pathways, and Plasticity Supporting Typical and Disordered Cognition in Rodent
David A Kupferschmidt1, Kirstie A Cummings2, Max E Joffe3
1Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892 david.kupferschmidt@nih.gov.
Summary
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) inhibitory microcircuits are crucial for cognition. This review explores medial PFC interneuron populations, their connections, and plasticity, linking them to psychiatric disease models.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Prefrontal cortex (PFC) inhibitory microcircuits are vital for regulating neural activity, coordinating ensembles, and gating communication, essential for adaptive cognition and behavior.
- Dysfunction in PFC inhibitory circuits is implicated in psychiatric disorders and their animal models.
Approach:
- This review synthesizes recent studies presented at the 2022 Society for Neuroscience Meeting.
- It focuses on discrete medial PFC (mPFC) interneuron populations, their afferent connections, and circuit-specific plasticity.
Key Points:
- Identifies distinct medial PFC (mPFC) interneuron populations in the mouse brain.
- Examines mPFC interneuron regulation of long-range afferents.
- Discusses circuit-specific plasticity of mPFC interneurons.
Conclusions:
- The identified interneuron populations, pathways, and plasticity mechanisms contribute to rodent cognition.
- These findings are discussed in relation to stress, reward, motivational conflict, and genetic factors relevant to psychiatric disease.
