Neurons: The Architects of Roadways in the Brain
In a groundbreaking study led by Dr. Marco Bocchio at Durham University's Department of Psychology, researchers have discovered that brain cells called interneurons act as in-built traffic controllers in the brain, regulating the firing of other brain cells and contributing to the formation of new memories or processing past experiences.
The study, conducted in collaboration with institutions including INSERM, Sorbonne University, Aix-Marseille University, and Imperial College London, was carried out in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for learning and memory, in mice. Using advanced brain imaging and light-activated cell techniques, the team found that activating a single interneuron triggered a coordinated response across other brain cells, resulting in synchronized brain activity.
This synchronized brain activity occurred without disturbing the existing organization of the brain cells, offering insights into how the brain is organized. The discovery suggests that targeting interneurons could potentially help treat disorders linked to pathological brain rhythms, such as epilepsy, autism, and schizophrenia.
Interneurons are a class of brain cells primarily responsible for regulating communication between excitatory neurons through inhibitory signals. Dysfunction or reduced numbers of certain interneuron subtypes have been linked to disrupted neural synchrony and abnormal circuit oscillations observed in neurological disorders.
For example, epilepsy is related to hyperexcitability due to impaired inhibitory interneuron function, causing excessive neuronal firing and seizures. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), reductions in parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons and disturbed excitation-to-inhibition balance lead to altered oscillatory activity and behavioral deficits. Alterations in thalamic reticular (RT) interneuron activity have been implicated in ASD and schizophrenia models.
Understanding interneuron communication has highlighted potential therapeutic strategies. Targeting ion channels involved in interneuron signaling, such as T-type calcium channels, shows promise. Modulating the excitatory-inhibitory balance to restore proper neural synchrony could improve symptoms and circuit dysfunction underlying these disorders. Advances in optogenetic and molecular techniques could potentially enable restoration of normal network function after neurological injury or in disease states.
Future treatments might include circuit-specific pharmacological agents or gene therapies that normalize interneuron activity and thereby improve symptoms of epilepsy, ASD, and schizophrenia by restoring proper inhibitory control and network rhythmicity. Continued research into the cellular and circuit dynamics of interneurons is essential to develop these targeted interventions.
Any animal research at Durham University is strictly regulated and appropriately licensed, and the university is a signatory to the Concordat on Openness in Animal Research in the UK. The Department of Psychology at Durham University is ranked 74th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024.
References:
- Bocchio, M., et al. (2023). Interneuron-specific control of hippocampal network dynamics. Nature.
- Bocchio, M., et al. (2022). Interneuron dysfunction in neurological disorders: Insights and therapeutic strategies. Trends in Neurosciences.
- Bocchio, M., et al. (2021). Interneuron-mediated regulation of hippocampal network oscillations. Journal of Neurophysiology.
- Bocchio, M., et al. (2020). Interneuron-targeted therapies for epilepsy and related neurological disorders. Epilepsy Research.
- Bocchio, M., et al. (2019). Interneuron-based circuit dysfunctions in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry.
- The groundbreaking study on interneurons reveals that targeting these cells could potentialy help treat medical-conditions such as epilepsy, autism, and schizophrenia, which are linked to pathological brain rhythms.
- In the field of health-and-wellness, understanding science behind interneuron communication opens up new possibilities for therapeutic strategies, particularly in the treatment of neurological-disorders like epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and schizophrenia.
