Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a new brain circuit that involves astrocytes, a type of brain cell that plays a crucial role in moderating overactive neurons and influencing attention and perception. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, reveals that the neurotransmitter noradrenaline sends signals to astrocytes to calm down hyperactive neurons, thus facilitating smooth transitions between alertness and relaxation. This finding could shed light on potential treatments for attention disorders like ADHD, which are not fully understood.
Astrocytes, traditionally viewed as support cells for neurons, have shown significant regulatory roles in brain function. The researchers focused on how these cells help manage sensory processing based on different mental states. For example, the perception of a common sound can vary significantly depending on a person’s environment and mental state. Their experiments demonstrated that when mice were given a drug that stimulates noradrenaline receptors, the expected excitatory response was replaced by relaxation, indicating the importance of astrocytes in this brain state regulation.
This groundbreaking study suggests that astrocytes could be key players in the brain’s response to various neurotransmitters, paving the way for a deeper understanding of neurological conditions and brain function.
