title: The balance between excitation and inhibition and functional sensory processing in the somatosensory cortex.
abstract: The balance between excitation and inhibition (E/I balance) is tightly regulated in adult cortices to maintain proper nervous system function. Disturbed E/I balance is associated with numerous neuropsychological disorders, such as autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia. The present review will discuss aspects of Hebbian and homeostatic mechanisms regulating excitatory and inhibitory balance related to sensory processing in somatosensory cortex of rodents. Additionally, changes in the E/I balance during sensory manipulation will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qian-Quan
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018079:Receptors, GABA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate