VIP Interneurons: A Key to Cortical Network Regulation in Avoidance Behaviour

This review highlights and summarises the investigations of avoidance behaviour published in the journal Neuron. In the 6th issue of Neuron, Lee et al. (2019) makes an important link between the activity of prefrontal vasoactive intestinal polypeptide interneurons and their contribution to the initiation of avoidance behaviour in mice. Their role in hippocampalprefrontal cortex communication networks allows the integration of specific-inputs to drive complex behaviours which are effectively lost following interneuron inhibition. This review of neurological experimentation aims to recognise the significant role of interneurons in cognitive thought and decision-making patterns like that seen in avoidance behaviour. The ability to avoid certain environments due to foreseeable pressures or potential harm is an evolutionary process that is not yet fully known. Therefore, understanding the cognitive process can help us learn how the brain formulates impressions and judgement in certain environments.

Keywords: neural-circuit; hippocampus; excitatory synapse; prefrontal cortex; learning

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