title: How do astrocytes participate in neural plasticity?
abstract: Work over the past 20 years has implicated electrically nonexcitable astrocytes in complex neural functions. Despite controversies, it is increasingly clear that many, if not all, neural processes involve astrocytes. This review critically examines past work to identify the commonalities among the many published studies of neuroglia signaling. Although several studies have shown that astrocytes can impact short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity, further work is required to determine the requirement for astrocytic Ca(2+) and other second messengers in these processes. One of the roadblocks to the field advancing at a rapid pace has been technical. We predict that the novel experimental tools that have emerged in recent years will accelerate the field and likely disclose an entirely novel path of neuroglia signaling within the near future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
authors.forename: Philip G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Haydon
authors.affiliation: Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642.
authors.forename: Maiken
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nedergaard
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D011188:Potassium