We conclude that astrocytes can enhance the computational power of neuronal networks in previously unexpected ways.Īstrocytes represent the largest cellular population in the human brain. We will discuss how astrocytes could govern metaplasticity in the brain, how they might organize the clustering of synaptic inputs, and how they could function as memory elements for neuronal activity. Finally, we will outline the potential computational functions that astrocyte-neuron interactions can serve in the brain.

We do this by reviewing recent experimental literature on astrocyte-neuron interactions, discussing the dynamic effects of astrocytes on neuronal excitability and short- and long-term synaptic plasticity. Here, we aim to provide an outline of how astrocytes can interact with neurons. Additionally, mathematical modeling will prove crucial for testing predictions on the possible functions of astrocytes in neuronal networks, and to generate novel ideas as to how astrocytes can contribute to the complexity of the brain. To answer these questions will require a combination of advanced physiological, genetical, and behavioral experiments. With the plethora of astrocyte mediated signaling processes described in the literature today, the current challenge is to identify, which of these processes happen under what physiological condition, and how this shapes information processing and, ultimately, behavior. Many studies have shown that astrocytes can dynamically modulate neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity, and might participate in higher brain functions like learning and memory. Research in the last two decades has made clear that astrocytes play a crucial role in the brain beyond their functions in energy metabolism and homeostasis. Department of Physiology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.Rogier Min*, Mirko Santello and Thomas Nevian

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