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The roles of cells within the nervous system are based on their properties of excitability, which are in part governed by voltage-gated ion channels. HCN channels underlie the hyperpolarization-activated current, I_h, an important regulator of excitability and rhythmicity through control of basic membrane properties. I_h is present in multiple neuronal types and regions of the central nervous system, and changes in I_h alter cellular input-output properties and neuronal circuitry important for behavior such as learning and memory. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of neurological diseases of both the central and peripheral nervous system involves defects in excitability, rhythmicity, and signaling, and animal models of many of these disorders have implicated changes in HCN channels and I_h as critical for pathogenesis. In this review, we focus on recent research elucidating the role of HCN channels and I_h in behavior and …