The way we experience the world occurs due to complex and intricate interactions between neurons in the brain. Now, a study, published 9th February 2022 in Science Advances, suggests that astrocytes — star-shaped, non-neuronal cells in the brain — might also play an important role in processing information, and perhaps even memory.
Using advanced imaging and analysis techniques, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) recorded signaling within single astrocytes at a previously unseen level of detail and speed in the brains of awake mice.
Their findings, including ultra-fast signals on par with those seen in neurons and patterns of signaling activity that correspond to different behaviors, suggest that astrocytes may play a crucial role in many functions of our brain, including how we think, move, and learn.
“If these implications…
