There are studies implicating GIRK2/KCNJ6 in regulating neuronal excitability. Studies have shown that GIRK2 contributes to the slow inhibitory postsynaptic potentials due to GABAB action (Luscher et al., 1997; Nicoll, 2004). Activity of GIRK receptors results in hyperpolarization that decreases neuronal excitability and this in turn directly influences neuronal activity (cf. Kang et al., 2012). There is also evidence that highlights the role of inhibition in pacing oscillations and establishing synchrony during cognitive processing in the brain (Isaacson and Scanziani, 2011). 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).
