Parpura V., Haydon P.G. (Eds.) Astrocytes in (Patho)Physiology of the Nervous System

Springer, 2009. — 701 p.Due to their lack of electrical excitability, astrocytes, a subtype of glial cell, have long been neglected as active participants in intercellular communication within the central nervous system. Astrocytes, however, possess a diverse assortment of ion channels, neurotransmitter receptors, and transport mechanisms that enable them to respond to many of the same signals that act on neurons. Astrocytes in (Patho)Physiology of the Nervous System provides readers with a comprehensive description of the physiological roles astrocytes play in regulating neuronal activity and their critical involvement in pathophysiological states of the nervous system, including gliomas, Alexander's disease, and epilepsy. This book will be particularly useful for researchers, students, and workers in the field of neurobiology and cell biology.