The Role of Complexity Theory in Understanding Brain's Neuron-Glia Interactions.

Brain information processing complexity is conventionally recognized as derived from neuronal activity, with neurons and their dynamic signalling responsible for the transfer and processing of information. However, the brain also contains other non-neuronal cells, glial cells, which exceed the number of neurons and are involved in the processes related with information coding by neural networks and underlying brain functions. Decisive advances in the characterization of the molecular and physiological properties of glial cells shed light on their active roles in neurotransmission and neuronal physiopathology.

[Reactive astrocytes in brain diseases: Therapeutic targets and biomarkers].

Astrocytes are essential partners of neurons in the central nervous system. In response to many brain diseases, astrocytes change at the morphological, molecular and functional levels: they become reactive. These multiple changes are likely to have significant impacts on neurons, which are dependent on several astrocyte functions.