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Astrocytes are among the most numerous cells in the CNS and are crucial for development, homeostasis, synaptic and network function, and response to injury and repair. They consist of different functional compartments, including perisynaptic processes and endfeet, and are interconnected via gap junctions that provide for the formation of syncytia composed of hundreds of astrocytes. The perisynaptic processes participate in reciprocal interactions with presynaptic and postsynaptic terminals, creating a tripartite synapse. Astrocytes thereby regulate activity of individual synapses and coordinate neuronal network activity via signal propagation both within the astrocyte and throughout the astrocytic network. The endfeet of the astrocytes cover the surface of cerebral blood vessels; they contribute to the formation of the blood–brain barrier and have a major role in neurovascular coupling regulating local blood flow. Astrocytes also provide metabolic support to active neurons, that is, neurometabolic coupling.
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- © 2016 American Academy of Neurology
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