Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Inducing Plasticity of Astrocytic Receptors by Manipulation of Neuronal Firing Rates
12:47

Inducing Plasticity of Astrocytic Receptors by Manipulation of Neuronal Firing Rates

Published on: March 20, 2014

Sodium dynamics: another key to astroglial excitability?

Sergei Kirischuk1, Vladimir Parpura, Alexei Verkhratsky

  • 1Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Universal Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.

Trends in Neurosciences
|May 29, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Neuronal activity causes sodium ion ([Na⁺](i)) increases in astrocytes, influencing brain functions like neurotransmitter transport and energy metabolism. These sodium dynamics are crucial for neuron-glia communication at synapses.

More Related Videos

Measuring Near Plasma Membrane and Global Intracellular Calcium Dynamics in Astrocytes12:48

Measuring Near Plasma Membrane and Global Intracellular Calcium Dynamics in Astrocytes

Published on: April 26, 2009

Dual Electrophysiological Recordings of Synaptically-evoked Astroglial and Neuronal Responses in Acute Hippocampal Slices16:38

Dual Electrophysiological Recordings of Synaptically-evoked Astroglial and Neuronal Responses in Acute Hippocampal Slices

Published on: November 26, 2012

Related Concept Videos

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of specific...
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.
Glial Cells01:04

Glial Cells

Overview