It is still widely thought that cortical projections to distant brain areas derive by and large from glutamatergic neurons. However, an increasing number of reports provide evidence that cortical GABAergic neurons comprise a smaller population of ‘projection neurons’ in addition to the well-known and much-studied interneurons. GABAergic long-range axons that derive from, or project to, cortical areas are thought to entrain distant brain areas for efficient information transfer and processing. Research conducted over the past 10 years has revealed that cortical GABAergic projection neurons are highly diverse in terms of molecular marker expression, synaptic targeting (identity of targeted cell types), activity pattern during distinct behavioural states and precise temporal recruitment relative to ongoing neuronal network oscillations. As GABAergic projection neurons connect many cortical areas unidirectionally or bidirectionally, it is safe to assume that they participate in the modulation of a whole series of behavioural and cognitive functions. We expect future research to examine how long-range GABAergic projections fine-tune activity in distinct distant networks and how their recruitment alters the behaviours that are supported by these networks.

人们仍然普遍认为，向远处大脑区域的皮层投射主要来自谷氨酸能神经元。然而，越来越多的报告提供证据表明，除了众所周知的和经过大量研究的中间神经元外，皮质 GABA 能神经元还包含较少的“投射神经元”。源自或投射到皮质区域的 GABAergic 远程轴突被认为可以夹带远处的大脑区域，以进行有效的信息传输和处理。过去 10 年进行的研究表明，皮质 GABA 能投射神经元在分子标记表达、突触靶向（目标细胞类型的同一性）、不同行为状态下的活动模式和相对于正在进行的神经元网络振荡的精确时间募集方面高度多样化. 由于 GABAergic 投射神经元单向或双向连接许多皮层区域，因此可以安全地假设它们参与了一系列行为和认知功能的调节。我们希望未来的研究能够研究远程 GABAergic 预测如何微调不同远程网络中的活动，以及它们的招募如何改变这些网络支持的行为。