History of Astrocytes
Chapter 1 History of Astrocytes Abstract In this introduction to the history of astrocytes, we (1) contextualize the evolution of the concept of neuroglia within the development of cell theory…
Types of Epilepsy
Chapter 4 Types of Epilepsy Abstract Epilepsy, affecting at least 2% of the population, comprises a group of disorders of the brain characterized by the periodic and unpredictable occurrence of…
Neuropathology of Human Epilepsy
Chapter 5 Neuropathology of Human Epilepsy Abstract In this chapter, we briefly review salient features of the pathology of human focal epilepsies. We present human histopathological data and classification of…
Adenosine Metabolism
Chapter 10 Adenosine Metabolism Abstract Adenosine is a neuromodulator that plays a role in energy metabolism, cellular communication, and DNA methylation. Purinergic signaling can be carried out by two different…
Glutamate Metabolism
Chapter 9 Glutamate Metabolism Abstract The majority of energy consumed by the brain is used to maintain membrane potentials of neurons after action potentials are fired. Glutamate, the main neurotransmitter…
Potassium Channels
Chapter 7 Potassium Channels Abstract Astrocytes play a critical role in maintaining extracellular K+ homeostasis. Since neuronal activity is accompanied by efflux of K+ from neurons into the extracellular space,…
Water Channels
Chapter 8 Water Channels Abstract Alterations in distinct astrocyte membrane channels, receptors, and transporters have all been associated with the epileptic state. This chapter focuses on the potential roles of…
Astrocytes in the Mammalian Brain
Chapter 2 Astrocytes in the Mammalian Brain Abstract In this chapter, we provide a more modern overview of the concept of astrocytes. We summarize the classification of neuroglia, explore astrocyte…
Astrocyte Calcium Signaling
Chapter 6 Astrocyte Calcium Signaling Abstract Several lines of evidence have pointed toward calcium-dependent exocytosis as a common mechanism of gliotransmitter release from astrocytes. Initial studies found increased intracellular calcium…
Inflammation
Chapter 13 Inflammation Abstract The immune response is a complicated system composed of physical barriers, distinct cell types, and inflammatory molecules that serve to protect the brain from foreign pathogens…
