Alpha7 nicotonic receptor actions on GABAergic synapses

烟草中提取的尼古丁作用于大脑中的受体，这些受体通常由内源性神经递质乙酰胆碱激活。虽然尼古丁滥用是导致过早死亡和疾病的重要原因，但尼古丁受体的激活可以提高认知能力。目前尚不清楚它是如何做到这一点的。我们最近发现，在大脑神经元的一个子集中，激活一种亚型的尼古丁受体对抑制性传递有强大的影响。我们建议探索潜在的机制，并研究这种现象对网络功能的影响。

Nicotine derived from tobacco acts on receptors in the brain, which are normally activated by the endogenous neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Although nicotine abuse is an important cause of premature death and disease, activation of nicotinic receptors enhances cognitive performance. How it does so is not known. We have recently discovered a powerful effect of activation of a subtype of nicotinic receptors on inhibitory transmission in a subset of neurons in the brain. We propose to explore the underlying mechanisms, and to investigate the consequences of this phenomenon for network function.