The sensation of pain occurs when neural pathways conduct excitation generated by tissue damage to the spinal cord, where the nociceptive information is pre-processed. From there, the information is transmitted to the brain, where the sensation of “pain” is finally created. This is the general belief...
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MIT neuroscientists have discovered that glial cells play a critical role in controlling appetite and feeding behavior. In a study of mice, activating these cells stimulates overeating, and that when the cells are inhibited, appetite is also suppressed. The findings could offer scientists a new target for developing drugs against obesity and other appetite-related disorders. The study is also the latest in recent years to implicate glial cells in important brain functions. Until about 10 years ago, glial cells were believed to play more of a supporting role for neurons.
“In the last few years, ab...
Read MoreGlial cells nourish, protect, and support neurons, but their role is far from passive. A new study shows how they can change the shape of nerve endings by interacting with them through a previously unknown molecular pathway and distinguish between the different types of neurons they encase. More than half of our brains are made up of glial cells, which wrap around nerve fibers and insulate them allowing electrical and chemical impulses to travel faster. In the past, neuroscientists considered the glial cell an essential yet passive helper of nerve cells...
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