Long-range inhibition in the healthy and epileptic hippocampus

Abstract

There are many sources of inhibition and excitation that are carefully, and crucially, balanced within the brain. When this balance is off, pathological neuronal activity can emerge and lead to diseases such as epilepsy. My research identifies unique sources of inhibition in the hippocampus that are particularly interesting in the context of healthy hippocampal functioning as well as for temporal lobe epilepsy. Specifically, my dissertation has focused on two inhibitory neuron populations: one which has previously been shown to suppress seizures in a rodent model of chronic temporal lobe epilepsy, the other a previously uncharacterized and novel source of inhibition to the hippocampus that has several unique and surprising characteristics.