Learning and memory are believed to depend on plastic changes of neuronal circuits due to activity-dependent potentiation or depression of specific synapses. During the last two decades, plasticity of brain circuits was hypothesized to mainly rely on the flexibility of glutamatergic excitatory synapses, whereas inhibitory synapses were assumed relatively invariant, to ensure stable and reliable control of the neuronal network. As a consequence, while considerable efforts were made to clarify the main mechanisms underlying plasticity at excitatory synapses, the study of the cellular/molecular mechanisms of inhibitory plasticity has received much less attention. Nevertheless, an increasing body of evidence has revealed that inhibitory synapses undergo several types of plasticity at both pre- and postsynaptic levels. Given the crucial role of inhibitory interneurons in shaping network activities, such as generation of oscillations, selection of cell assemblies and signal integration, modifications of the inhibitory synaptic strength represents an extraordinary source of versatility for the fine control of brain states. This versatility also results from the rich diversity of GABAergic neurons in several brain areas, the specific role played by each inhibitory neuron subtype within a given circuit, and the heterogeneity of the properties and modulation of GABAergic synapses formed by specific interneuron classes. The molecular mechanisms underlying the potentiation or depression of inhibitory synapses are now beginning to be unraveled. At the presynaptic level, retrograde synaptic signaling was demonstrated to modulate GABA release, whereas postsynaptic forms of plasticity involve changes in the number/gating properties of GABAA receptors and/or shifts of chloride gradients. In addition, recent research indicates that GABAergic tonic inhibition can also be plastic, adding a further level of complexity to the control of the excitatory/inhibitory balance in the brain. The present Topic will focus on plasticity of GABAergic synapses, with special emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of plasticity induction and/or expression.

The NMDA receptor plays a critical role in the development of the central nervous system and in adult neuroplasticity, learning, and memory. Therefore, it is not surprising that this receptor has been widely studied. However, despite the importance of rhythms for the sustenance of life, this aspect of NMDAR function remains poorly studied. Written

Neuroscience has long been focused on understanding neural plasticity in both development and adulthood. Experimental work in this area has focused almost entirely on plasticity at excitatory synapses. A growing body of evidence suggests that plasticity at inhibitory GABAergic and glycinergic synapses is of critical importance during both development and aging. The book brings together the work of researchers investigating inhibitory plasticity at many levels of analysis and in several different preparations. This topic is of wide relevance across a number of different areas of research in neuroscience and neurology. Medical problems such as epilepsy, mental illness, drug abuse, and movement disorders can result from malfunctioning inhibitory circuits. Further, the maturation of inhibitory circuits may trigger the onset of critical periods of neural circuit plasticity, raising the possibility that such plastici periods could be reactivated for medical benefit by manipulating inhibitory circuitry.

This is the first English-language publication of the complete works of the great Spanish neurohistologist, Santiago Ramon y Cajal, on the cerebral cortex. The new translations include all Cajal's very early contributions on the cortex of small mammals, relevant chapters from his definitive textbook, and all his great works on the human cerebral cortex made at the peak of his career. The book also presents Cajal's surveys of cortical structure dating from his later years. It is extensively annotated, and the editors have verified and completed all Cajal's references. Special introductory chapters review the state of knowledge during each period covered, and the work concludes with an extensive essay on modern cortical neurohistology in which the quality and lasting significance of Cajal's contributions are highlighted.

This volume will explore the most recent findings on cellular mechanisms of inhibitory plasticity and its functional role in shaping neuronal circuits, their rewiring in response to experience, drug addiction and in neuropathology. Inhibitory Synaptic Plasticity will be of particular interest to neuroscientists and neurophysiologists.