Neurons can change from excitatory to inhibitory over time
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 87/100
Accumulating neurobiological evidence demonstrates that certain neurons can undergo neurotransmitter phenotype switching, transitioning from an excitatory to an inhibitory profile during development or in response to injury.
Evidence for · 3
Neurotransmitter phenotype switching by spinal excitatory interneurons regulates locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury
2022 · cited by 74
Bertels et al. (2022) demonstrate that adult spinal cord injury prompts neurotransmitter phenotype switching of spatially defined excitatory interneurons to an inhibitory phenotype.
See more details
More for · 2
Lineage-resolved atlas of the developing human cortex.
2025 · cited by 14
A lineage-resolved atlas of the developing human cortex (2025) shows that cortical progenitors switch from glutamatergic to GABAergic neurogenesis during development.
Hormone-switching islet cells: parallels to transmitter-switching neurons.
2025 · cited by 0
A review by Spitzer (2025) discusses dynamic neurotransmitter switching in neurons as a known phenomenon of cell plasticity.