Abstract
Concepts regarding the function of the hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) in shaping the excitability of single cells and neuronal ensembles have been evolving rapidly following the recent cloning of genes that encode the underlying 'h-channels' - the HCN genes. This article reviews new information about the transcriptional regulation of these channels, highlighting novel studies that demonstrate short- and long-term modulation of HCN expression, and linking this modulation to mechanisms of neurological diseases.