Functional Synergism Between Putative γ-Aminobutyrate-Containing Neurons and Pyramidal Neurons in Prefrontal Cortex

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 91; no. 9; pp. 4009 - 4013
• Main Authors: WILSON, F. A. W, SCALADHE, S. P. O, GOLDMAN-RAKIC, P. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 26.04.1994; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Action Potentials; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Eye and associated structures. Visual pathways and centers. Vision; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - physiology; Histograms; Interneurons; Interneurons - physiology; Macaca mulatta; Memory - physiology; Mental stimulation; Neurobiology; Neurons; Neuroscience; Prefrontal cortex; Pyramidal cells; Reed Sternberg cells; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Visual Pathways - physiology; Memory; Oculomotor coordination; Monkey; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Prefrontal cortex; Gabaergic neurone; Interneuron; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Vision; Primates; Pyramidal neuron; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.91.9.4009

The responses of putative γ-aminobutyratergic interneurons (fast-spiking) and pyramidal (regular-spiking) cell pairs were compared in monkeys performing visual and memory-guided oculomotor tasks. Both fast- and regular-spiking neurons had similar receptive fields, indicating that γ-aminobutyratergic interneurons carry a specific informational signal, as opposed to providing nonspecific modulation. However, the responses of the pairs were inverted and the timing of excitatory and inhibitory responses appeared to be phased, a property consistent with γ-aminobutyrate-mediated shaping of receptive fields. These observations (i) provide evidence that interneurons and pyramidal cells can be differentiated in vivo and (ii) begin to elucidate the role of γ-aminobutyratergic mechanisms in cognition.