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REVIEW article
Front. Cell. Neurosci.
Sec. Non-Neuronal Cells
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fncel.2025.1544460
This article is part of the Research Topic Astrocytes, Their Role in Shaping Neurotransmission View all 4 articles
Astroglia's Role in Synchronized Spontaneous Neuronal Activity: From Physiology to Pathology
Provisionally accepted- 1 Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
- 2 Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
- 3 Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
- 4 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California,, Los Angeles, United States
- 5 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
- 6 Department of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
- 7 Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States
The nervous system relies on a balance of excitatory and inhibitory signals. Aberrant neuronal hyperactivity is a pathological phenotype associated with several neurological disorders, with its most severe effects observed in epilepsy patients. This review explores the literature on spontaneous synchronized neuronal activity, its physiological role, and its aberrant forms in disease. Emphasizing the importance of targeting underlying disease mechanisms beyond traditional neuron-focused therapies, the review delves into the role of astroglia in epilepsy progression. We detail how astroglia transitions from a normal to a pathological state, leading to epileptogenic seizures and cognitive decline. Astroglia activity is correlated with epileptiform activity in both animal models and human tissue, indicating their potential role in seizure induction and modulation. Understanding astroglia's dual beneficial and detrimental roles could lead to novel treatments for epilepsy and other neurological disorders with aberrant neuronal activity as the underlying disease substrate.
Keywords: Epilepsy, astrocyte, glia, neuronal activation, Cognition, mental health, Sleep, Epileptogenesis
Received: 12 Dec 2024; Accepted: 06 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ammothumkandy, Cayce, Shariq and Bonaguidi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Aswathy Ammothumkandy, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90033, California, United States
Michael A Bonaguidi, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90033, California, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.