title: The Current Status of Somatostatin-Interneurons in Inhibitory Control of Brain Function and Plasticity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2260-2921
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Scheyltjens
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lutgarde
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2909-8449
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arckens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D019579:Neocortex / Q000378:metabolism; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013004:Somatostatin