Interneurons take charge

摘要

The brain's hippocampal region contains many classes of interneurons, which, it transpires, show different patterns of activity. They might contribute to memory by shaping the dynamics of neuronal networks. Learning something new―and recalling what you've learned ― involves large numbers of nerve cells, distributed throughout different parts of the brain. Neuronal assemblies in the hippocampus, for instance, are thought to be essential in encoding, consolidating and retrieving memories. These neuronal networks alternate between several functional states, each characterized by a temporally structured pattern of electrical activity that may facilitate a particular aspect of memory processing. On page 844 of this issue, Klausberger et al. present results that bring us closer to understanding the precise but varied ways in which distinct classes of hippocampal neurons impose such network states. Their study focuses on interneurons ― small neurons that are involved in the local processing of nerve signals. They find that these cells, which generally have inhibitory activities, seem to work together in a strictly coordinated manner to control assemblies of excitatory pyramidal nerve cells.