title: Disentangling calcium-driven astrocyte physiology.
abstract: Astrocytes seem to rely on relatively sluggish and spatially blurred Ca(2+) waves to communicate with fast and point-precise neural circuits. This apparent discrepancy could, however, reflect our current inability to understand the microscopic mechanisms involved. Difficulties in detecting and interpreting astrocyte Ca(2+) signals may have led to some prominent controversies in the field. Here, we argue that a deeper understanding of astrocyte physiology requires a qualitative leap in our experimental and analytical strategies.
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
authors.forename: Dmitri A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rusakov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans