External stimulation guides brain circuit's early development

External stimulation guides brain circuit’s early development

A healthy brain has just the right ratio of cells that enhance signals (excitatory neurons) and cells that tone down signals (inhibitory neurons). These two sets of neurons start out looking exactly the same, so what determines their roles? Hollis Cline is chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and director of the Dorris Neuroscience Center at The Scripps Research Institute. A new study in animal models from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) suggests that stimulation from the outside world guides these neurons’ early development so that inhibitory neurons split into two different types of neurons, each with a different job in the brain. This adds another level of complexity and regulation to this circuitry. If these findings hold true in humans, they could provide insight into how…


Link to Full Article: External stimulation guides brain circuit’s early development