The mechanism underlying astrocyte-mediated restoration of brain tissue after an injury has now been pinpointed by a team of researchers. This could lead to new treatments that encourage regeneration ...

Astrocytes are star shaped cells that make up around 35% of human brain cells. They were once thought of as cells that simply supported neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). But in recent years ...

Researchers have discovered that astrocytes, the most abundant cells in the brain, play a direct role in the regulation of adult neuronal circuits involved in learning and memory. Researchers at ...

Past neuroscience studies found that when the central nervous system (CNS) is damaged, for instance following a stroke or spinal cord injuries, the lesions become surrounded by borders of newly ...

When we learn a new motor skill—whether mastering a piano passage or refining balance while walking—the brain must reorganize the circuits that control movement. For decades, this process of synaptic ...

Astrocytes are found throughout the brain. Each astrocyte is in contact with several neurons and more than 100'000 synapses. A new study shows that, at the microscopic level, dozens of synapses from ...

A growing body of research suggests astrocytes, star-shaped brain cells once dismissed as support players, may lead the way to more precise and effective psychiatric drugs. This fluorescent microscope ...

Astrocytes are highly heterogeneous neuroglial cells with distinct functional and morphological characteristics in different parts of the brain. They are responsible for maintaining a number of ...

As a neuromodulator, norepinephrine is a powerful force in the brain. We all know it orchestrates rapid changes in behavior such as the fight-or-flight response. Fewer people know that astrocytes ...