Recent evidence supports the hypothesis of a functional dichotomy of perisomatic inhibition
in the cerebral cortex: the parvalbumin- and cholecystokinin-containing basket cells
that are specialized to control rhythm (as a clockwork) and "mood" (as a fine-tuning
device), respectively, of network oscillations. Pathology extends this conclusion
further, as the former is implicated in epilepsy and the latter in anxiety. The well-balanced
cooperation of the two inhibitory systems is required for the normal network operations
underlying the cognitive functions of the cerebral cortex.
