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: ...

Astrocytes are notoriously two-faced—calmly coddling neurons one minute, then ruthlessly consuming their synapses the next. Why these dramatic mood swings? Blame the EphA4 receptor, according to a ...

A collaborative French–Swiss study reveals a previously unknown role for astrocytes in the brain's information processing. Published in the journal Cell, the research shows that these glial cells are ...

The latticework of extracellular protein that surrounds brain cells forms a particularly dense mesh around fast-spiking interneurons. Why do these cells need such thick coats? In the July 17 Nature ...

Research on fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental retardation, has focused mostly on how the genetic defect alters the functioning of neurons in the brain. A new study focusing ...