Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Cholinergic and behavior-dependent beta and gamma waves are coupled between olfactory bulb and hippocampus.

Hippocampus·2024

Same author

Muscarinic and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blockade reveal differences in hippocampal local field potentials in mice with low cholinergic tone.

Hippocampus·2022

Same author

Aberrant slow waves in the hippocampus during activation in mice with low cholinergic tone.

Hippocampus·2021

Same author

Long-term potentiation of the nucleus reuniens and entorhinal cortex to CA1 distal dendritic synapses in mice.

Brain structure & function·2020

Same author

Phasic modulation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity by theta rhythm.

Behavioral neuroscience·2020

Same author

Inactivation of ATRX in forebrain excitatory neurons affects hippocampal synaptic plasticity.

Hippocampus·2019

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Tuning in the Hippocampal Theta Band In Vitro: Methodologies for Recording from the Isolated Rodent Septohippocampal Circuit

Tuning in the Hippocampal Theta Band In Vitro: Methodologies for Recording from the Isolated Rodent Septohippocampal Circuit

Published on: August 2, 2017

Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials Participate in Intracellular and Extracellular Theta Rhythms in the Hippocampus: A

L Stan Leung¹, Chi Yiu Conrad Yim²

¹Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

|December 13, 2024

Summary

This study reveals inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) are crucial for hippocampal theta rhythm generation. Theta-rhythmic IPSPs, combined with dendritic excitation, create phase shifts essential for cognitive processing.

Keywords:

cross‐spectral analysis excitatory postsynaptic potentials gradual phase shift inhibitory postsynaptic potentials reversal potential theta rhythm

More Related Videos

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice

Published on: June 29, 2018

Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG

Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG

Published on: March 10, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Tuning in the Hippocampal Theta Band In Vitro: Methodologies for Recording from the Isolated Rodent Septohippocampal Circuit

Tuning in the Hippocampal Theta Band In Vitro: Methodologies for Recording from the Isolated Rodent Septohippocampal Circuit

Published on: August 2, 2017

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice

Optogenetic Entrainment of Hippocampal Theta Oscillations in Behaving Mice

Published on: June 29, 2018

Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG

Automatic Detection of Highly Organized Theta Oscillations in the Murine EEG

Published on: March 10, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Electrophysiology

Background:

Dominant 1980s views proposed theta rhythm comprised excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), with minimal inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) involvement.
IPSPs were thought to generate a closed monopolar field within the hippocampus.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantitatively investigate the relationship between hippocampal theta rhythm and IPSPs.
To test a new model proposing theta-rhythmic IPSPs as essential for theta rhythm generation.

Main Methods:

Intracellular and extracellular recordings in CA1 neurons.
Protocols included steady-state holding currents and chloride ion injection.
Alvear stimulation to evoke antidromic action potentials in CA1 pyramidal cells.

Main Results:

Intracellular theta and IPSPs in CA1 neurons exhibited the same reversal potential and correlated amplitude changes.
Alvear stimulation induced feedback IPSPs with minimal excitatory components.
Proposed a dual dipole model: theta-rhythmic somatic inhibition and phase-shifted distal apical dendritic excitation.

Conclusions:

Theta-rhythmic IPSPs are a critical component of the hippocampal theta rhythm.
The interplay between somatic inhibition and dendritic excitation generates extracellular theta phase shifts.
This mechanism modulates synaptic plasticity and gamma oscillations, crucial for cognitive functions.