Quantitative assessment of CA1 local circuits: Knowledge base for interneuron-pyramidal cell connectivity

ABSTRACT In this work, through a detailed literature review, data‐mining, and extensive calculations, we provide a current, quantitative estimate of the cellular and synaptic constituents of the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus. Beyond estimating the cell numbers of GABAergic interneuron types, we calculate their convergence onto CA1 pyramidal cells and compare it with the known input synapses on CA1 pyramidal cells. The convergence calculation and comparison are also made for excitatory inputs to CA1 pyramidal cells. In addition, we provide a summary of the excitatory and inhibitory convergence onto interneurons. The quantitative knowledge base assembled and synthesized here forms the basis for data‐driven, large‐scale computational modeling efforts. Additionally, this work highlights specific instances where the available data are incomplete, which should inspire targeted experimental projects toward a more complete quantification of the CA1 neurons and their connectivity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.