Journal
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
Volume 22, Issue 2, Pages 245-251Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2011.02.008
Keywords
Sleep; Thalamocortical circuitry; Oscillations; Memory; Astrocytes; ATP; Adenosine
Categories
Funding
- NIMH NIH HHS [R25 MH094612] Funding Source: Medline
- NINDS NIH HHS [F31 NS059091, F31 NS059091-01] Funding Source: Medline
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Thalamocortical dynamics, the millisecond to second changes in activity of thalamocortical circuits, are central to perception, action and cognition. Generated by local circuitry and sculpted by neuromodulatory systems, these dynamics reflect the expression of vigilance states. In sleep, thalamocortical dynamics are thought to mediate offline functions including memory consolidation and synaptic scaling. Here, I discuss thalamocortical sleep dynamics and their modulation by the ascending arousal system and locally released neurochemicals. I focus on modulation of these dynamics by electrically silent astrocytes, highlighting the role of purinergic signaling in this glial form of communication. Astrocytes modulate cortical slow oscillations, sleep behavior, and sleep-dependent cognitive function. The discovery that astrocytes can modulate sleep dynamics and sleep-related behaviors suggests a new way of thinking about the brain, in which integrated circuits of neurons and glia control information processing and behavioral output. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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