Central nervous system parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV-INs) are crucial and highly vulnerable to various stressors. They also play a significant role in the pathological processes of many neuropsychiatric diseases, especially those associated with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD), Lewy body dementia, and schizophrenia. Although accumulating evidence suggests that the loss of PV-INs is associated with memory impairment in dementia, the precise molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this review, we delve into the current evidence regarding the physiological properties of PV-INs and summarize the latest insights into how their loss contributes to cognitive decline in dementia, particularly focusing on AD and VD. Additionally, we discuss the influence of PV-INs on brain development, the variations in their characteristics across different types of dementia, and how their loss affects the etiology and progression of cognitive impairments. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of PV-INs and to consider their potential as novel therapeutic targets in dementia treatment.

中枢神经系统小白蛋白阳性中间神经元 （PV-INs） 至关重要，并且极易受到各种压力源的影响。它们在许多神经精神疾病的病理过程中也起着重要作用，尤其是与认知障碍相关的疾病，如阿尔茨海默病 （AD）、血管性痴呆 （VD）、路易体痴呆和精神分裂症。尽管越来越多的证据表明 PV-INs 的丢失与痴呆患者的记忆障碍有关，但确切的分子机制仍然难以捉摸。在这篇综述中，我们深入研究了当前关于 PV-IN 生理特性的证据，并总结了关于它们的缺失如何导致痴呆认知能力下降的最新见解，特别是关注 AD 和 VD。此外，我们还讨论了 PV-INs 对大脑发育的影响，它们在不同类型的痴呆中特征的变化，以及它们的丢失如何影响认知障碍的病因和进展。最终，我们的目标是提供 PV-IN 的全面概述，并考虑它们作为痴呆治疗中新型治疗靶点的潜力。