Researchers find that interneurons are not all created equally

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. A type of neuron that, when malfunctioning, has been tied to epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia is much more complex than previously thought, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report in the Sept. 9 issue of Neuron . The majority of brain cells are called excitatory because they ramp up the action of target cells. In contrast, inhibitory cells called interneurons put the brakes on unbridled activity to maintain order and control. Epileptic seizures, as well as symptoms of autism and schizophrenia, have been tied to dysfunctional inhibitory cells. 'Too much activity and you run the risk of uncontrolled activity, while too little leads to cognitive and behavioral deficits,' said Mriganka Sur, Paul E. Newton Professor of Neuroscience, whose laboratory carried out the study.