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  1. Home
  3. The 3-body Problem: How Astrocytes May Govern Plasticity.
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  3. The 3-body Problem: How Astrocytes May Govern Plasticity.

Related Experiment Video

Three-dimensional Tissue Engineered Aligned Astrocyte Networks to Recapitulate Developmental Mechanisms and Facilitate Nervous System Regeneration
08:52

Three-dimensional Tissue Engineered Aligned Astrocyte Networks to Recapitulate Developmental Mechanisms and Facilitate Nervous System Regeneration

Published on: January 10, 2018

The 3-Body Problem: How Astrocytes May Govern Plasticity.

Airi Watanabe1,2, Connie Guo1,2, P Jesper Sjöström1

  • 1Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, BRaIN Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.

The Neuroscientist : a Review Journal Bringing Neurobiology, Neurology and Psychiatry
|May 25, 2026

View abstract on PubMed

Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Astrocytes, once overlooked, are now recognized for their role in memory and synaptic plasticity. This review proposes a new framework viewing astrocytes as key players in neural information processing and memory formation.

Keywords:
Hebbian plasticityastrocyte calcium signalingastrocyte–neuron interactionbrain computation

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Investigation of Spatial Interaction Between Astrocytes and Neurons in Cleared Brains
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Investigation of Spatial Interaction Between Astrocytes and Neurons in Cleared Brains

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Investigation of Spatial Interaction Between Astrocytes and Neurons in Cleared Brains
05:17

Investigation of Spatial Interaction Between Astrocytes and Neurons in Cleared Brains

Published on: March 31, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cellular Biology
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Traditionally, neurons and neural networks were considered the sole basis for learning and memory.
  • Emerging research highlights the significant role of astrocytes in synaptic plasticity and information storage.
  • The precise function of astrocytes in memory mechanisms, particularly their slow signaling, remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the computational and coding roles of astrocytes in neural plasticity from an astrocyte-centric perspective.
  • To propose a conceptual framework for understanding astrocyte involvement in synaptic plasticity and memory.
  • To investigate how astrocytes might address the synaptic credit assignment problem.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on astrocyte signaling and synaptic plasticity.
  • Theoretical exploration of astrocyte roles in neural computation.
  • Development of a conceptual model focusing on the astrocyte's position in neural circuits.

    • Main Results:

    • Astrocytes utilize slow signaling (seconds) that is linked to memory, contrasting with the millisecond timescales of traditional synaptic plasticity.
    • A proposed '3-body' model involving astrocytes and pre- and postsynaptic neuronal compartments.
    • Astrocytes may play a crucial role in the synaptic credit assignment problem.

    Conclusions:

    • Astrocytes are integral to synaptic plasticity and information storage, extending beyond their support functions.
    • A new framework positions astrocytes as active participants in neural computation and memory encoding.
    • Understanding astrocyte-neuron interplay is essential for comprehending neural network performance and plasticity.