When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astrocytes are star-shaped cells in the brain that may play and unsung role in memory. | Credit: ...

Astrocyte activity precedes the onset of epileptic neuronal hyperactivity episodes. (A) With cytosolic calcium ion increase, excitatory actions from astrocytes to neurons are likely to be initiated.

Epilepsy, where patients suffer from unexpected seizures, affects roughly 1% of the population. These seizures often involve repetitive and excessive neuronal firing, with the trigger behind this ...

Recent work has revealed some of the many crucial functions of astrocytes, brain cells that were once thought to play primarily supportive roles for neurons. Astrocytes do handle debris around neurons ...

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a natural mechanism that clears existing amyloid plaques in the brains of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and preserves cognitive function ...

The potential effects of astrocyte dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases are summarized in Figure 2. AD is characterized clinically by cognitive loss in two or more domains, including memory, ...

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental health condition that negatively affects the mood of a person and causes a loss of interest in activities that were previously associated with happiness. In ...

Fatty diets and obesity affect the structure and function of astrocytes 1, the star-shaped brain cells located in the striatum, a brain region involved in the perception of pleasure generated by food ...