Functional contributions of electrical synapses in sensory and motor networks

•Electrical synapses are fast, reliable and bidirectional means of neuronal communication.•They are present in sensory and motor networks of adult invertebrate and vertebrates.•Network motifs combining electrical and chemical synapses render complex processing.

Intercellular interactions in the nervous system are mediated by two types of dedicated structural arrangements: electrical and chemical synapses. Several characteristics distinguish these two mechanisms of communication, such as speed, reliability and the fact that electrical synapses are, potentially, bidirectional. Given these properties, electrical synapses can subserve, in addition to synchrony, three main interrelated network functions: signal amplification, noise reduction and/or coincidence detection. Specific network motifs in sensory and motor systems of invertebrates and vertebrates illustrate how signal transmission through electrical junctions contributes to a complex processing of information.