What resolves this contention: Whether SPN-SPN lateral inhibition is functional…

What resolves this contention: Whether SPN-SPN lateral inhibition is functionally important for shaping striatal output (Burke), versus a striatal model where the dichotomy of D1/D2 SPN populations and their differential dopamine modulation is the dominant organizing principle (Surmeier). The two views are not mutually exclusive but differ in what is treated as primary. / The emphasis of this Perspective is on the underappreciated role of lateral inhibition between striatal projection cells in controlling neuronal firing and shaping the output of this circuit. / Recent advances in the means of marking neural circuits with optical or molecular reporters have revealed a clear-cut dichotomy between these two cell types at the molecular, anatomical, and physiological levels.