Dynamic Transitions in Neuronal Network Firing Sustained by Abnormal Astrocyte Feedback

Astrocytes play a crucial role in neuronal firing activity. Their abnormal state may lead to the pathological transition of neuronal firing patterns and even induce seizures. However, there is still little evidence explaining how the astrocyte network modulates seizures caused by structural abnormal...

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Main Authors: Yangyang Yu, Zhixuan Yuan, Yongchen Fan, Jiajia Li, Ying Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8864246
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author Yangyang Yu
Zhixuan Yuan
Yongchen Fan
Jiajia Li
Ying Wu
author_facet Yangyang Yu
Zhixuan Yuan
Yongchen Fan
Jiajia Li
Ying Wu
author_sort Yangyang Yu
collection DOAJ
description Astrocytes play a crucial role in neuronal firing activity. Their abnormal state may lead to the pathological transition of neuronal firing patterns and even induce seizures. However, there is still little evidence explaining how the astrocyte network modulates seizures caused by structural abnormalities, such as gliosis. To explore the role of gliosis of the astrocyte network in epileptic seizures, we first established a direct astrocyte feedback neuronal network model on the basis of the hippocampal CA3 neuron-astrocyte model to simulate the condition of gliosis when astrocyte processes swell and the feedback to neurons increases in an abnormal state. We analyzed the firing pattern transitions of the neuronal network when astrocyte feedback starts to change via increases in both astrocyte feedback intensity and the connection probability of astrocytes to neurons in the network. The results show that as the connection probability and astrocyte feedback intensity increase, neuronal firing transforms from a nonepileptic synchronous firing state to an asynchronous firing state, and when astrocyte feedback starts to become abnormal, seizure-like firing becomes more severe and synchronized; meanwhile, the synchronization area continues to expand and eventually transforms into long-term seizure-like synchronous firing. Therefore, our results prove that astrocyte feedback can regulate the firing of the neuronal network, and when the astrocyte network develops gliosis, there will be an increase in the induction rate of epileptic seizures.
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spelling doaj-art-2c8a63f6bebf4d4ca095edba6c28b4302025-08-20T03:20:25ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432020-01-01202010.1155/2020/88642468864246Dynamic Transitions in Neuronal Network Firing Sustained by Abnormal Astrocyte FeedbackYangyang Yu0Zhixuan Yuan1Yongchen Fan2Jiajia Li3Ying Wu4State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, ChinaSchool of Information & Control Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture & Technology, 710055, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, ChinaAstrocytes play a crucial role in neuronal firing activity. Their abnormal state may lead to the pathological transition of neuronal firing patterns and even induce seizures. However, there is still little evidence explaining how the astrocyte network modulates seizures caused by structural abnormalities, such as gliosis. To explore the role of gliosis of the astrocyte network in epileptic seizures, we first established a direct astrocyte feedback neuronal network model on the basis of the hippocampal CA3 neuron-astrocyte model to simulate the condition of gliosis when astrocyte processes swell and the feedback to neurons increases in an abnormal state. We analyzed the firing pattern transitions of the neuronal network when astrocyte feedback starts to change via increases in both astrocyte feedback intensity and the connection probability of astrocytes to neurons in the network. The results show that as the connection probability and astrocyte feedback intensity increase, neuronal firing transforms from a nonepileptic synchronous firing state to an asynchronous firing state, and when astrocyte feedback starts to become abnormal, seizure-like firing becomes more severe and synchronized; meanwhile, the synchronization area continues to expand and eventually transforms into long-term seizure-like synchronous firing. Therefore, our results prove that astrocyte feedback can regulate the firing of the neuronal network, and when the astrocyte network develops gliosis, there will be an increase in the induction rate of epileptic seizures.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8864246
spellingShingle Yangyang Yu
Zhixuan Yuan
Yongchen Fan
Jiajia Li
Ying Wu
Dynamic Transitions in Neuronal Network Firing Sustained by Abnormal Astrocyte Feedback
Neural Plasticity
title Dynamic Transitions in Neuronal Network Firing Sustained by Abnormal Astrocyte Feedback
title_full Dynamic Transitions in Neuronal Network Firing Sustained by Abnormal Astrocyte Feedback
title_fullStr Dynamic Transitions in Neuronal Network Firing Sustained by Abnormal Astrocyte Feedback
title_full_unstemmed Dynamic Transitions in Neuronal Network Firing Sustained by Abnormal Astrocyte Feedback
title_short Dynamic Transitions in Neuronal Network Firing Sustained by Abnormal Astrocyte Feedback
title_sort dynamic transitions in neuronal network firing sustained by abnormal astrocyte feedback
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8864246
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AT zhixuanyuan dynamictransitionsinneuronalnetworkfiringsustainedbyabnormalastrocytefeedback
AT yongchenfan dynamictransitionsinneuronalnetworkfiringsustainedbyabnormalastrocytefeedback
AT jiajiali dynamictransitionsinneuronalnetworkfiringsustainedbyabnormalastrocytefeedback
AT yingwu dynamictransitionsinneuronalnetworkfiringsustainedbyabnormalastrocytefeedback