Coordinated excitatory and inhibitory activity is required for proper brain functioning. Recent computational and experimental studies have demonstrated that activity patterns in recurrent cortical networks are dominated by inhibition. Whereas previous studies have suggested that inhibitory plasticity is important for homeostatic control, this new framework puts inhibition in the driver’s seat. Complex neuronal networks in the brain comprise many configurations in parallel, controlled by external and internal ‘switches’. Context-dependent modulation and plasticity of inhibitory connections play a key role in memory and learning. It is therefore important to realize that synaptic plasticity is often multisynaptic and that a proper balance between excitation and inhibition is not fixed, but depends on context and activity level.

适当的兴奋和抑制活动需要适当的大脑功能。最近的计算和实验研究表明，复发性皮层网络的活动方式主要受抑制作用的影响。尽管先前的研究表明抑制性可塑性对于稳态控制很重要，但是这种新的框架将抑制作用放在了驾驶员座椅上。大脑中复杂的神经元网络包括许多并行配置，由外部和内部“开关”控制。上下文相关的调制和抑制性连接的可塑性在记忆和学习中起关键作用。因此，重要的是要认识到，突触可塑性通常是多突触的，并且激发与抑制之间的适当平衡不是固定的，而是取决于环境和活动水平。