Inhibition

While inhibition is a building block of biological neural networks, its role in synaptic plasticity is yet to be fully understood. So far its role has only been addressed in rate and spike-timing based models (Wilmes et al., 2016; Agnes & Vogels,2024; Miehl & Gjorgijeva, 2022). Yet, experimental results show that the hyperpolarising effect of inhibition on the sub-threshold membrane potential can alter the expression of plasticity at excitatory synapses (Hayama et al. 2013; Paille et al. 2013). To address this gap, we explore the effects of inhibition in three voltage-dependent models: the vol

Burst-suppression (BS) is a highly structured electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern characterized by alternating periods of high-voltage activity (bursts) and low or flatline activity (suppression). In non-anesthetized adults, BS indicates severe brain pathology, e.g. due to oxygen and glucose deprivation [1]. There are two types of BS: one with identical bursts that are highly periodic and uniform in shape, often signaling a poor prognosis, and one without identical bursts [2]. The neuronal mechanisms behind BS and these variations remain largely unknown. Some studies suggest the involvement of

The claustrum is a thin grey matter structure that lies subcortically embedded between the external and extreme capsules, the putamen, and the insular cortex. In recent studies, the claustrum has been linked to cognitive control and, in particular, to cognitive flexibility in both animals and humans. Moreover, the claustrum has been reported to be involved in various aspects of sleep. In the present study, we explored resting-state functional connectivity of the claustrum in relation to both habitual sleep parameters and cognitive control performance in humans. Our aim was to explore the role

…of direct excitation and feed-forward inhibition in MD, but excitation alone in VM. This reflects unexpected connectivity in the anterior thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), with PFC inputs primarily cont

Findings on executive function (EF) training gains remain inconsistent, with varied outcomes among participants. While factors such as age, baseline cognitive abilities, and personality traits are commonly explored as predictors of EF training gains, limited attention has been given to the neurophysiological markers associated with training gains. This line of research could be potentially fruitful, as theta and alpha band power have been associated with performance on various cognitive measures. In our study, we aimed to address this gap by examining whether relative theta and alpha power can

The $k$-cap (or $k$-winners-take-all) process is a simple model of firing activity and inhibition in the brain. The process models the formation of neural assemblies, a longstanding proposal for the representation of abstract concepts in the brain. It is applied to a directed graph as follows: in each iteration, a subset of $k$ vertices of the graph are identified as winners; the next round winners are the vertices that have the highest total degree from the current winners, with ties broken randomly. Previous theoretical analyses of neural assemblies model the connectome as a directed Erd\"

…for the current task, or lack of inhibition of the previous task. To disambiguate between these explanations, we conduct

The cerebral cortex contains an extraordinary diversity of excitatory projection neuron (PN) and inhibitory interneurons (IN), wired together to form complex circuits. Spatiotemporally coordinated execution of intrinsic molecular programs by PNs and INs and activity-dependent processes, contribute to cortical development and cortical microcircuits formation. Alterations of these delicate processes have often been associated to neurological/neurodevelopmental disorders. However, despite the groundbreaking discovery that spontaneous activity in the embryonic brain can shape regional identities o

Inhibitory interneurons govern the sparse activation of principal cells that permits appropriate behaviors, but they among the most vulnerable to brain damage. Our recent work has demonstrated important roles for inhibitory neurons in disorders of brain development, injury and epilepsy. These studies have motivated our ongoing efforts to understand how these cells operate at the synaptic, circuit and behavioral levels and in designing new technologies targeting specific populations of interneurons for therapy. I will discuss our recent efforts examining the role of interneurons in traumatic br

…for by an optimisation for excitation-inhibition (E/I) balance. In particular, we find that such an opti

During conversations we rapidly switch between listening and speaking which often requires withholding or delaying our speech in order to hear others and avoid overlapping. This capacity for vocal turn-taking is exhibited by non-linguistic species as well, however the neural circuit mechanisms that enable us to regulate the precise timing of our vocalizations during interactions are unknown. We aim to identify the neural mechanisms underlying the coordination of vocal interactions. Therefore, we paired zebra finches with a vocal robot (1Hz call playback) and measured the bird’s call response t