Neuroscience

Star-shaped brain cells orchestrate neural connections

Brains are made of more than a tangled net of neurons. Star-like cells called astrocytes diligently fill in the gaps between neural nets, each wrapping itself around thousands of neuronal connections called synapses. This ...

Neuroscience

Star-shaped brain cells may play a critical role in glaucoma

After a brain injury, cells that normally nourish nerves may actually kill them instead, a new study in rodents finds. This "reactive" phenomenon may be the driving factor behind neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma, ...

Medical research

Astrocytes improve decision-making

Decision-making during goal-directed behaviors is deliberative process involving different brain areas that considers pros and cons of each option. These cognitive operations in humans and animals are crucially supported ...

Genetics

Researchers discover new clues on how sleep works in the brain

Star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes appear to play an essential role in sleep, a new study by scientists from the Washington State University Sleep and Performance Research Center confirms. Published today in PLOS Genetics, ...

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