The balance between excitation and inhibition in neuronal circuits has drawn more and more attention in recent years, due to its proposed multifaceted functions in the normal neural circuit as well as its potential roles in the etiology of many neurological disorders. Here, we discuss the importance of clearly defining excitation/inhibition by experimental measurements and the implications of some recent studies to our understanding of the regulation of excitation/inhibition at the neuronal level.
Keywords: Excitation/inhibition balance; circuit dysfunction; intrinsic excitability; sensory-evoked synaptic current; spontaneous synaptic current.