Development and influence of inhibition in the lateral superior olivary nucleus

While studies of neuronal development and plasticity have focused on excita tory pathways, the inhibitory projection from the MNTB to the LSO provides a favorable model for studies of synaptic inhibition. This review covers re cent studies from our laboratories indicating that inhibitory connections a re quite dynamic during development, These findings suggest that there are two phases inhibitory transmission. During an initial depolarizing phase is growth and branching of pre- and postsynaptic elements in the LSO. During a second hyperpolarizing phase there is refinement of inhibitory afferent a rborizations and the LSO dendrites that they innervate. (C) 2000 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.