GABAergic microcircuits in the neostriatum

The vast majority of neostriatal neurons and intrinsic intrastriatal synapses are GABAergic, the latter arising from axon collaterals of spiny projection neurons and from GABAergic interneurons. An important feature of the functional organization of the neostriatum has long been assumed to be the existence of a widespread lateral inhibitory network mediated by the axon collaterals of spiny projection neurons. However, these collateral connections have recently been demonstrated electrophysiologically to be relatively weak - in contrast to feedforward interneuronal inhibition, which exerts strong effects on spike timing in spiny neurons. These new data are incompatible with current 'winner-take-all' models of lateral inhibitory function in the neostriatum, and they force a modification of established concepts of the functional roles of feedback inhibition in this nucleus.