Functional synergism between putative gamma-aminobutyrate-containing neurons and pyramidal neurons in prefrontal cortex.
The responses of putative gamma-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 gamma-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 gamma-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 gamma-aminobutyratergic mechanisms in cognition.
Wilson
F A
FA
Section of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
O'Scalaidhe
S P
SP
Goldman-Rakic
P S
PS
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid