Figure 1

Spontaneous inhibitory currents within the lateral habenula are similar to those within the somatosensory cortex. (A) Example traces of spontaneous currents in an LHb neuron recorded in voltage clamp configuration. AMPA and NMDA-mediated excitatory currents and GABA_A-mediated inhibitory currents could be observed simultaneously using a low-chloride intracellular solution. (B) Relative frequency of excitatory vs inhibitory currents in both LHb neurons (n = 10 neurons from 5 mice) and somatosensory cortex L2/3 pyramidal neurons (n = 9 neurons from 4 mice). (C) Comparison of frequency (left) and amplitude (right) between inhibitory currents in LHb neurons and L2/3 pyramidal neurons. Data are mean ± SEM. (D) Comparison of kinetics (rise time, half-width and decay) between inhibitory currents in LHb neurons and L2/3 pyramidal neurons. Note for 4 LHb neurons, and 1 cortical neuron, no inhibitory currents were observed. For these neurons, frequency value was 0 Hz. However, as there were no measurable currents, these neurons have been excluded from analyses of current amplitude and kinetics.