Functional consequences of inhibitory plasticity: homeostasis, the excitation-inhibition balance and beyond

- Computational network models increasingly incorporate inhibitory synaptic plasticity.
- Inhibitory plasticity can stabilize network dynamics in spite of excitatory plasticity.
- Inhibitory plasticity can maintain a balance of excitation and inhibition.
- Inhibitory plasticity shapes the selectivity and temporal response profile of sensory neurons.

Computational neuroscience has a long-standing tradition of investigating the consequences of excitatory synaptic plasticity. In contrast, the functions of inhibitory plasticity are still largely nebulous, particularly given the bewildering diversity of interneurons in the brain. Here, we review recent computational advances that provide first suggestions for the functional roles of inhibitory plasticity, such as a maintenance of the excitation-inhibition balance, a stabilization of recurrent network dynamics and a decorrelation of sensory responses. The field is still in its infancy, but given the existing body of theory for excitatory plasticity, it is likely to mature quickly and deliver important insights into the self-organization of inhibitory circuits in the brain.