Activity of GIRK receptors results in hyperpolarization that decreases neuronal excitability and this in turn directly influences activity levels in neurons. There are several lines of evidence that highlight the role of inhibition in tuning responses and pacing oscillations and establishing synchrony during cognitive processing in the brain (Isaacson & Scanziani 2011; review). A simulation study examining decision time and theta rhythm suggests that a mixture of slow and fast inhibition can affect the power in the theta band and speed up the reaction times in a decision-making network (Smerieri et al. 2010).
