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Generating Brain Waves, the Power of Astrocytes
- Source :
- Frontiers in Neuroscience, Vol 13 (2019), Frontiers in Neuroscience
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Media S.A., 2019.
-
Abstract
- Synchronization of neuronal activity in the brain underlies the emergence of neuronal oscillations termed "brain waves", which serve various physiological functions and correlate with different behavioral states. It has been postulated that at least ten distinct mechanisms are involved in the formulation of these brain waves, including variations in the concentration of extracellular neurotransmitters and ions, as well as changes in cellular excitability. In this mini review we highlight the contribution of astrocytes, a subtype of glia, in the formation and modulation of brain waves mainly due to their close association with synapses that allows their bidirectional interaction with neurons, and their syncytium-like activity via gap junctions that facilitate communication to distal brain regions through Ca2+ waves. These capabilities allow astrocytes to regulate neuronal excitability via glutamate uptake, gliotransmission and tight control of the extracellular K+ levels via a process termed K+ clearance. Spatio-temporal synchrony of activity across neuronal and astrocytic networks, both locally and distributed across cortical regions, underpins brain states and thereby behavioral states, and it is becoming apparent that astrocytes play an important role in the development and maintenance of neural activity underlying these complex behavioral states.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Glutamate uptake
Chemistry
brain waves
General Neuroscience
Mini Review
Gap junction
astrocytes
Brain waves
spatial buffering
lcsh:RC321-571
03 medical and health sciences
Neural activity
030104 developmental biology
0302 clinical medicine
Brain state
oscillations
Cellular excitability
Extracellular
Premovement neuronal activity
Neuroscience
lcsh:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
K+ clearance
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Volume :
- 13
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Neuroscience
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....e8eb73063b2a518473b3d3a92a4855cd