Dr. Akassoglou and her colleagues have now shown that the cells use their processes to monitor neighboring nerve cells for signs of overexcitement.
When they touch overactive cells, the processes somehow limit their activity and prevent seizures.“Microglia seem to sense which neuron is about to become overly active, and keep it in check by making contact with it, which prevents that neuron’s activity from escalating,” explains Dr.
Mario Merlini, the study’s co-first author and a former research scientist in Dr. Akassoglou’s lab who now heads a team at the University of Caen Normandie in France.Hyperexcitable neurons are known to be involved in a wide range of neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury,.