The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity

The mammalian neocortex contains many distinct inhibitory neuronal populations to balance excitatory neurotransmission. A correct excitation/inhibition equilibrium is crucial for normal brain development, functioning, and controlling lifelong cortical plasticity. Knowledge about how the inhibitory n...

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Main Authors: Isabelle Scheyltjens, Lutgarde Arckens
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8723623
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author Isabelle Scheyltjens
Lutgarde Arckens
author_facet Isabelle Scheyltjens
Lutgarde Arckens
author_sort Isabelle Scheyltjens
collection DOAJ
description The mammalian neocortex contains many distinct inhibitory neuronal populations to balance excitatory neurotransmission. A correct excitation/inhibition equilibrium is crucial for normal brain development, functioning, and controlling lifelong cortical plasticity. Knowledge about how the inhibitory network contributes to brain plasticity however remains incomplete. Somatostatin- (SST-) interneurons constitute a large neocortical subpopulation of interneurons, next to parvalbumin- (PV-) and vasoactive intestinal peptide- (VIP-) interneurons. Unlike the extensively studied PV-interneurons, acknowledged as key components in guiding ocular dominance plasticity, the contribution of SST-interneurons is less understood. Nevertheless, SST-interneurons are ideally situated within cortical networks to integrate unimodal or cross-modal sensory information processing and therefore likely to be important mediators of experience-dependent plasticity. The lack of knowledge on SST-interneurons partially relates to the wide variety of distinct subpopulations present in the sensory neocortex. This review informs on those SST-subpopulations hitherto described based on anatomical, molecular, or electrophysiological characteristics and whose functional roles can be attributed based on specific cortical wiring patterns. A possible role for these subpopulations in experience-dependent plasticity will be discussed, emphasizing on learning-induced plasticity and on unimodal and cross-modal plasticity upon sensory loss. This knowledge will ultimately contribute to guide brain plasticity into well-defined directions to restore sensory function and promote lifelong learning.
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spelling doaj-art-c4d224bfa3714debb4a17a12f792c8fb2025-08-20T02:18:47ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432016-01-01201610.1155/2016/87236238723623The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and PlasticityIsabelle Scheyltjens0Lutgarde Arckens1Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, BelgiumLaboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, BelgiumThe mammalian neocortex contains many distinct inhibitory neuronal populations to balance excitatory neurotransmission. A correct excitation/inhibition equilibrium is crucial for normal brain development, functioning, and controlling lifelong cortical plasticity. Knowledge about how the inhibitory network contributes to brain plasticity however remains incomplete. Somatostatin- (SST-) interneurons constitute a large neocortical subpopulation of interneurons, next to parvalbumin- (PV-) and vasoactive intestinal peptide- (VIP-) interneurons. Unlike the extensively studied PV-interneurons, acknowledged as key components in guiding ocular dominance plasticity, the contribution of SST-interneurons is less understood. Nevertheless, SST-interneurons are ideally situated within cortical networks to integrate unimodal or cross-modal sensory information processing and therefore likely to be important mediators of experience-dependent plasticity. The lack of knowledge on SST-interneurons partially relates to the wide variety of distinct subpopulations present in the sensory neocortex. This review informs on those SST-subpopulations hitherto described based on anatomical, molecular, or electrophysiological characteristics and whose functional roles can be attributed based on specific cortical wiring patterns. A possible role for these subpopulations in experience-dependent plasticity will be discussed, emphasizing on learning-induced plasticity and on unimodal and cross-modal plasticity upon sensory loss. This knowledge will ultimately contribute to guide brain plasticity into well-defined directions to restore sensory function and promote lifelong learning.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8723623
spellingShingle Isabelle Scheyltjens
Lutgarde Arckens
The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity
Neural Plasticity
title The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity
title_full The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity
title_fullStr The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity
title_full_unstemmed The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity
title_short The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity
title_sort current status of somatostatin interneurons in inhibitory control of brain function and plasticity
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/8723623
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