Ephaptic Interactions: A Significant mode of Communications in the Brain

Though first postulated many decades ago, the functional significance of electric (ephaptic) interactions between neighboring nerve cells has been largely ignored. Instead, attention has been focused on chemical transmission as the generally accepted mode of cell-to-cell communication in the brain. In recent years, however, clear inhibitory or excitatory ephaptic interactions have been demonstrated in certain regions of the brain, notably in the hippocampus. Such interactions may greatly enhance synchronized firing of pyramidal cells in seizure discharges.