NMDA receptors are not necessary for burst firing of lateral habenula neurons in mice.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2026 Rong Zhou, Jingjing Lu, Yunxiang Ling et al.
Burst firing in the lateral habenula (LHb) is linked to depression, and ketamine blocks this firing to produce rapid antidepressant effects. This study investigated whether NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are necessary for burst firing in LHb neurons. Using brain slices from adult male mice, researchers recorded spontaneous and rebound burst firing while applying NMDAR antagonists D-AP5 and MK-801. Neither antagonist altered spontaneous or rebound burst firing: the percentage of neurons showing burst firing, burst frequency, and spikes per burst remained unchanged. The results indicate that NMDARs are not required for generating burst firing in LHb neurons, though they may modulate it under certain conditions.