Neuroscientists Discover New Inhibitory Cortical Neuron Type Involved in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
A team of researchers from the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping at the University of California, Irvine, has discovered a link between brain disorders and dysfunction of a newly identified inhibitory brain cell type. The study, “Anatomical and molecular characterization of parvalbumin cholecystokinin co-expressing inhibitory interneurons: implications for neuropsychiatric conditions,” was published in Molecular Psychiatry in July.
Different types of brain inhibitory neurons were first identified more than 100 years ago because of differences in their shape and morphology, but their functions remain to be elucidated.
A team of UCI scientists led by Dr. Xiangmin Xu, professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the UCI School of Medicine and director of the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), has discovered that a distinct new class of brain inhibitory neurons may be involved in neurological and psychiatric conditions including autism and schizophrenia when dysfunction is “We have found that several neuropsychiatric and psychiatric symptoms are associated with abnormal function.
We have identified a new class of inhibitory neurons in the brain that are implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders. These neurons are chemically characterized by their expression of the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin and cholecystokinin (CCK) peptide.
The nervous system has a balanced interaction between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Without inhibitory neurons, the brain would suffer from epilepsy and other neurological disorders, and the neurons Dr. Xu’s team discovered are highly metabolically active and require high energy.
These critical inhibitory neurons act as the brain’s braking system, slowing down overall activity. Loss of function of the brain’s braking system leads to dysfunction.”
The research team is currently studying a highly active type of neuron with a high energy requirement in search of a potential cure. They are further examining these neurons to better understand their relationship to neuropsychiatric disorders and their contribution to brain function.
Source: Neuroscientists Discover New Inhibitory Cortical Neuron Type Involved in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
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