Models of astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics and epilepsy

Neurons have been the focus of neuroscience research. Only recently, however, astrocytes, a subset of glial cells, have been on the neurobiology ‘radar’ owing to their Ca2+ excitability, which allows them to signal to other astrocytes and neurons. This review summarizes the models for studying astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics and the consequential Ca2+-dependent glutamate release, which plays a role in astrocytic-neuronal signaling and have been implicated in epilepsy.

Section editor:Gabriel A. Silva – Bioengineering and Ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA