The activity of cortical excitatory pyramidal neurons is kept in check by GABAergic interneurons, including those expressing somatostatin (SOM-INs). GABAergic inhibition is known to regulate action potential generation, and it has been proposed that the many dendritic SOM-IN synapses could exert localized control over dendritic electrical or biochemical signalling. Conclusive evidence for this hypothesis has been lacking, but in a new study, Chiu et al. show that SOM-INs exert specific, focal regulation of calcium signalling in pyramidal cell dendritic spines.
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