Gaba: Synchrony Through GABAergic Inhibition

© 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved. While epilepsy constitutes a heterogeneous array of disorders, the conventional view is that there is a common underlying failure in the ability of synaptic inhibition to balance excitation. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that eroding GABA receptor-mediated inhibition leads to massive synchronous discharges in neuronal circuits. However, GABAergic inhibition is known to play a fundamental role in the orchestration of physiological brain rhythms and could also play a proactive role in the generation and synchronization of seizure activity. A more detailed understanding of how the multiple facets of GABAergic inhibition contribute differentially to sculpting both physiological and pathological network activity may pave the way for more selective therapeutic strategies.