Table of Contents

Preface xvii About the Authors xxi Abbreviations xxv About the Companion Website xxxii 1 History of Neuroscience and the Dawn of Research in Neuroglia 1 1.1 The miraculous human brain: localising the brain functions 1 1.2 Cellular organisation of the brain 10 1.3 Mechanisms of communications in neural networks 14 1.4 The concept of neuroglia 27 1.5 Beginning of the modern era 47 1.6 Concluding remarks 49 References 49 2 General Overview of Signalling in the Nervous System 59 2.1 Intercellular signalling: wiring and volume modes of transmission 59 2.2 Cellular signalling: receptors 62 2.3 Intracellular signalling: second messengers 67 2.4 Calcium signalling 67 2.5 Concluding remarks 72 3 Neuroglia: Definition, Classification, Evolution, Numbers, Development 73 3.1 Definition of neuroglia as homeostatic cells of the nervous system 74 3.2 Classification 75 3.3 Evolution of neuroglia 76 3.4 Numbers: how many glial cells are in the brain? 93 3.5 Embryogenesis and development of neuroglia in mammals 96 3.6 Concluding remarks 99 References 100 4 Astroglia 105 4.1 Definition and heterogeneity 107 4.2 Morphology of the main types of astroglia 113 4.3 How to identify astrocytes in the nervous tissue 119 4.4 Astroglial syncytial networks 120 4.5 Physiology of astroglia 125 4.6 Functions of astroglia 175 4.7 Concluding remarks 231 References 231 5 Oligodendrocytes 245 5.1 Oligodendrocyte anatomy 247 5.2 Myelin structure and function 252 5.3 Physiology of oligodendrocytes 266 5.4 Oligodendrocyte development 283 5.5 Concluding remarks 299 References 299 6 NG2-glial Cells 321 6.1 Definition of NG2-glia 321 6.2 Structure of NG2-glia 324 6.3 Physiology of NG2-glia 327 6.4 Proliferation of NG2-glia and generation of oligodendrocytes 332 6.5 Relationship between NG2-glia and CNS pericytes 333 6.6 Evolution of NG2-glia 336 6.7 Concluding remarks 337 References 337 7 Microglia 343 7.1 Definition of microglia 344 7.2 Microglial origin and development 345 7.3 Morphology of microglia 345 7.4 General physiology of microglia 351 7.5 Microglial migration and motility 372 7.6 Physiological functions of microglia: role in synaptic transmission and plasticity 373 7.7 Microglia in ageing 375 7.8 Concluding remarks 375 References 376 8 Peripheral Glial Cells 381 8.1 Peripheral nervous system 382 8.2 Schwann cells 390 8.3 Satellite glial cells 407 8.4 Enteric glia 412 8.5 Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) 418 8.6 Concluding remarks 422 References 423 9 General Pathophysiology of Neuroglia 431 9.1 Neurological disorders as gliopathologies 431 9.2 Reactive astrogliosis 433 9.3 Wallerian degeneration 439 9.4 Excitotoxic vulnerability of oligodendrocytes: the death of white matter 442 9.5 Activation of microglia 444 9.6 Concluding remarks 449 References 450 10 Neuroglia in Neurological Diseases 453 10.1 Introduction 454 10.2 Genetic astrogliopathology: Alexander disease 456 10.3 Stroke and ischaemia 458 10.4 Migraine and spreading depression 467 10.5 CNS oedema 469 10.6 Metabolic disorders 471 10.7 Toxic encephalopathies 473 10.8 Neurodegenerative diseases 474 10.9 Leukodystrophies 487 10.10 Epilepsy 488 10.11 Psychiatric diseases 490 10.12 Autistic disorders 491 10.13 Neuropathic pain 492 10.14 Demyelinating diseases 494 10.15 Infectious diseases 496 10.16 Peripheral neuropathies 499 10.17 Gliomas 501 10.18 Concluding remarks 504 References 504 Author Index 513 Subject Index 517

About the Author

Alexei Verkhratsky is Professor of Neurophysiology and Chairman of the Division of Neuroscience at the University of Manchester, UK.

Arthur Butt is Professor of Cellular Neurophysiology, Department of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK.