<p>In introductory textbooks to neuroscience, the mechanism presented for synaptic plasticity is Hebbian learning (see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebbian_theory" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hebbian theory, Wikipedia</a>) which can be summed up in &quot;Neurons that fire together, wire together.&quot;.</p>
<p>Experiments seem to back this principle through the mechanism of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike-timing-dependent_plasticity" rel="nofollow noreferrer">spike-timing-dependent plasticity</a>. The main observation being that if neuron B often fires just after neuron A, an excitatory synapse from A to B will be reinforced (and, interestingly, it seems that when B fires just before neuron A, this will have the opposite effect of lowering the strength of the connection).</p>
<p>My understanding is that this mechanism is documented for <em>excitatory</em> synapses, <em>not inhibitory</em>.</p>
<p>What are the mechanisms underlying <strong>inhibitory</strong> synapses plasticity?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-06T15:41:12.870Z
Are you thinking about a brain area where inhibition is separate from the principal cells (e.g., neocortex, hippocampus) or where inhibitory cells produce projections to other places (e.g., targets of the cerebellum)?
Bryan Krause
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2024-12-06T16:07:33.120Z
@BryanKrause I don't know much about this distinction yet, but an answer could address both cases I suppose.
Weier
<neuroscience><neurophysiology><plasticity>
Mechanisms underlying plasticity of inhibitory synapses
Weier
# Mechanisms underlying plasticity of inhibitory synapses

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-06)

In introductory textbooks to neuroscience, the mechanism presented for synaptic plasticity is Hebbian learning (see [Hebbian theory, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebbian_theory)) which can be summed up in "Neurons that fire together, wire together.".

Experiments seem to back this principle through the mechanism of [spike-timing-dependent plasticity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike-timing-dependent_plasticity). The main observation being that if neuron B often fires just after neuron A, an excitatory synapse from A to B will be reinforced (and, interestingly, it seems that when B fires just before neuron A, this will have the opposite effect of lowering the strength of the connection).

My understanding is that this mechanism is documented for *excitatory* synapses, *not inhibitory*.

What are the mechanisms underlying **inhibitory** synapses plasticity?

**Tags:** neuroscience, neurophysiology, plasticity

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you thinking about a brain area where inhibition is separate from the principal cells (e.g., neocortex, hippocampus) or where inhibitory cells produce projections to other places (e.g., targets of the cerebellum)?  
> **username_0**: @BryanKrause I don't know much about this distinction yet, but an answer could address both cases I suppose.  

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## 0 answers

