Seonglae Chonon-neuron brain cells
Astrocyte suppress or enhance specific memories while leaving all other memories intact
Tweaking non-neural brain cells can cause memories to fade
They’re not neurons, but they help neurons remember things, new research shows.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/11/tweaking-non-neural-brain-cells-can-cause-memories-to-fade/
Mice sleep 6 hours less via brain cell tweak, feel alert next day
Normally, staying awake for extended time periods leads to the need for extra sleep. But researchers have just found that activating astrocyte cells in mice caused the rodents to stay awake for six hours longer than usual, with no noticeable sleep debt. The finding could help boost the productivity, safety and health of shift workers or other people who keep unusual hours.
https://newatlas.com/biology/brain-cell-tweak-keeps-mice-awake/
Astrocyte
Astrocytes, also known collectively as astroglia, are characteristic star-shaped glial cells in the brain and spinal cord. They perform many functions, including biochemical control of endothelial cells that form the blood–brain barrier, provision of nutrients to the nervous tissue, maintenance of extracellular ion balance, regulation of cerebral blood flow, and a role in the repair and scarring process of the brain and spinal cord following infection and traumatic injuries. The proportion of astrocytes in the brain is not well defined; depending on the counting technique used, studies have found that the astrocyte proportion varies by region and ranges from 20% to around 40% of all glia. Another study reports that astrocytes are the most numerous cell type in the brain. Astrocytes are the major source of cholesterol in the central nervous system.Apolipoprotein E transports cholesterol from astrocytes to neurons and other glial cells, regulating cell signaling in the brain. Astrocytes in humans are more than twenty times larger than in rodent brains, and make contact with more than ten times the number of synapses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrocyte
