Bergmann glia calcium wave in vivo

Bergmann glia (a major type of astrocyte in the cerebellum) respond to stimuli with calcium elevations. In the intact brain such calcium signals can be restricted to individual astrocytic processes and sometimes spread between many via the release of ATP and purinergic receptor-dependent signaling. Shown here is an optical section of the intact cerebellum of a rat showing in pseudocolor calcium elevations spreading between many Bergmann glia processes. These events occurr spontaneously in the anesthetized rat and who knows in your brain while you are watching this.

Full reference for these data: PNAS March 3, 2009 vol. 106 no. 9 3496-3501