Stress effects on the adult prefrontal cortex

Dysregulation of the prefrontal inhibitory GABAergic system causes pathological changes to emotional behaviors. Parvalbumin cells are a subtype of interneuron that provide strong, fast-spiking inhibitory control in neural circuits. I helped uncover that chronic stress increases parvalbumin protein expression in the prefrontal cortex of female mice, which correlates with increased anxiety-like behavior. I then found that chemogenetic excitation of prefrontal parvalbumin cells replicates the behavioral effects of chronic stress, namely increased anxiety-like behavior in females, and that a stress-induced increase in prefrontal parvalbumin cell activity is mediated by voltage-gated potassium channels. This work led to the hypothesis that the prefrontal cortex is over-inhibited in cases of chronic stress and emotional disorders like anxiety and depression, and therapeutic interventions may involve lifting inhibition to restore excitatory/inhibitory balance.