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The role of neuron–glia interactions in the emergence of ultra-slow oscillations

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Abstract

Ultra-slow cortical oscillatory activity of 1–100 mHz has been recorded in human by electroencephalography and in dissociated cultures of cortical rat neurons, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study presents a computational model of ultra-slow oscillatory activity based on the interaction between neurons and astrocytes. We predict that the frequency of these oscillations closely depends on activation of astrocytes in the network, which is reflected by oscillations of their intracellular calcium concentrations with periods between tens of seconds and minutes. An increase of intracellular calcium in astrocytes triggers the release of adenosine triphosphate from these cells which may alter transmission at nearby synapses by increasing or decreasing neurotransmitter release. These results provide theoretical support for the emerging awareness of astrocytes as active players in the regulation of neural activity and identify neuron–astrocyte interactions as a potential primary mechanism for the emergence of ultra-slow cortical oscillations.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the Malaysian Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Flagship Program Project No. FP0911F001 and the UTAR Research Fund Project No. IPSR/ RMC / UTARRF/ 2016-C1/M1. We are also grateful to the two anonymous referees for their valuable comments that contributed to substantially improving our manuscript.

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  1. Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Sungai Long, Bandar Sungai Long, Cheras, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Siow-Cheng Chan, Siew-Ying Mok, Danny Wee-Kiat Ng & Sing-Yau Goh

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  1. Siow-Cheng Chan
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  2. Siew-Ying Mok
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Correspondence to Siow-Cheng Chan.

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Chan, SC., Mok, SY., Ng, D.WK. et al. The role of neuron–glia interactions in the emergence of ultra-slow oscillations. Biol Cybern 111, 459–472 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-017-0740-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-017-0740-z

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