Parvalbumin interneuron (PV-IN) activity determines memory specificity and facilitates HOA formation

Acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval of recent and remote memory rely on the coordinated neuronal activity of different brain regions. Inhibitory neurons, or Interneurons (IN), play a critical role in shaping neuronal networks by selectively gating signal flow. Parvalbumin-IN (PV-IN) is one of the predominant interneurons and is known to be involved in memory consolidation and development. However, its role in maintaining memory specificity is still elusive. Here, we perturbed PV-IN activity and found that the activity of PV-IN is needed to maintain recent memory specificity. Interestingly, chronic activation of PV-IN retains this specificity for training context when tested remotely.We also report the involvement of PV-IN in the development of higher-order association (HOA).