Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Chapter 10: Do astrocytes process neural information?

1992; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0079-6123(08)61744-6

1875-7855

Stephen J Smith,

Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling

This chapter discusses the long-standing but controversial hypothesis that astrocytes play an active role in neural information processing, and especially on the impact of two recent developments. One is the very recent discovery that astrocytes possess a Ca-based form of excitability. This astrocytic property may be functionally analogous to the electrical excitability of neurons even though it is very different in details and in mechanism. The second development is the growing realization that the brain function involves neuromodulatory elements that work on very slow time-scales in comparison to axonal conduction and fast synaptic transmission. This realization has broadened horizons regarding the characteristics of potential neural information-processing elements. This chapter also includes some original theoretical work, addressing previously unexplored modes by which astrocytes might modulate synaptic function.