Inhibitory Network Dynamics Supporting Hippocampal Spatial Representations

Project Narrative The hippocampus is a mammalian brain structure involved in spatial navigation and learning, with the spatially-restricted firing of excitatory pyramidal cells, or place cells, linking the neural activity patterns within the hippocampus to the behaviors it mediates. While the mechanisms underlying place cell activity are unknown, changes in local inhibitory circuits have been associated with place cell formation and reorganization. The aim of this proposal is to characterize the in vivo activity patterns of defined hippocampal interneurons and determine their relationship with place cell dynamics, with the ultimate goal of providing novel insights and describing potential therapeutic targets in neurological or psychiatric conditions in which hippocampal function is impaired, such as schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease.