The roles of inhibitory neurons and oscillations in prefrontal circuit function

The prefrontal cortex play keys roles in numerous diverse aspects of behavior and cognition, ranging from executive functions such as attention, working memory, and cognitive control, to affective behaviors related to depression and anxiety. Correspondingly, dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex is a major feature of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we will describe ways in which GABAergic interneurons contribute to synchronized, rhythmic patterns of activity that enable prefrontal circuits to perform specific functions. First, I will describe recently published work showing that parvalbumin (PV) interneuron-driven gamma oscillations in the prefrontal cortex play a key role in cognitive flexibility. Then, I will discuss how other interneuron subtypes may regulate theta-frequency oscillations, thereby modulating interactions between the prefrontal cortex and other components of a distributed anxiety network.