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Prefrontal Cortex Astroglia Modulate Anhedonia-like Behavior
S A Codeluppi1,2, M Xu3, Y Bansal1,2
1Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada.
Research Square
|July 18, 2023
Summary
Reduced glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+ cells in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are linked to depression. This study shows PFC GFAP+ cell depletion causes anhedonia, while enhancing their activity reverses stress-induced anhedonia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Reductions in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+ astroglia within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are a consistent finding in patients with depression.
- Similar reductions are observed in rodent models subjected to chronic stress, suggesting a role for these cells in depressive disorders.
Conclusions:
- Cortical astroglia expressing GFAP play a critical role in the development and manifestation of anhedonia.
- Targeting astroglia represents a promising therapeutic strategy for treating depression, particularly symptoms related to anhedonia.
