Neocortical long-range inhibition promotes cortical synchrony and sleep.

Long-range Sst-Chodl inhibitory neurons in the neocortex actively promote sleep and synchronized cortical activity, especially during low-arousal states, in mice.

• Why it matters: Understanding how cortical circuits contribute to sleep regulation fills a critical gap, as most research focuses on subcortical mechanisms, leaving cortical contributions less clear.
• What they did: The study used mice to identify a sparse class of GABAergic neurons co-expressing Sst and Chodl, which are active during low-arousal states and influence multiple cortical regions via long-range axons.
• The result: Activating these neurons induces widespread cortical synchronization and sleep, revealing their key role in promoting sleep and synchronized activity, alongside traditional subcortical pathways.