Role of Brain's Glia Cells Finally Revealed

According to the conclusions of a new scientific study conducted by investigators at the Tel Aviv University, it would appear that glial cells in the human brain play an important role in allowing us to adapt, learn and store information.

The exact role that glial cells play has been a matter of great controversy among neuroscientists, and the new study could finally settle the score. “Glia cells are like the brain's supervisors. By regulating the synapses, they control the transfer of information between neurons, affecting how the brain processes information and learns,” TAU Schools of Physics and Astronomy and Electrical Engineering expert Maurizio De Pittà reveals.

In order to arrive at this conclusion, investigators analyzed synaptic information transfer patterns in a new computer model. The simulation also included the role of glial cells, and it immediately became obvious that they did more than simply support neurons physically, Daily Galaxy reports.