Glial man : a revolution in neuroscience /
Yves Agid and Pierre Magistretti ; translated by Robert N. Cory.
- First Edition
- xiv, 143 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Includes bibliographical references (pages [129]-137) and index.
The brain: neurons, glial cells, and blood vessels -- Astrocytes: a key player in brain functions -- Astrocytes and behavior -- Astrocytes and neuropsychiatric disorders -- Towards a revolution in neurobiology and the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
"Why do we need a different approach to understanding the human brain? And what do we mean when we use the phrase glial man? If we want to understand how systems function, whether mechanical or living, we need to be absolutely clear about their components. Presumably everyone knows what the brain is, and most have heard it is composed of neurons. The word 'neuron' has become such a part of our everyday vocabulary that a French politician, in response to a biting interview question, exclaimed: "give me credit for having at least two neurons to rub together!" It wouldn't have occurred to him to say "...two glial cells!" But it's those glial cells, those non-neuronal brain cells, that are the subject of this book"--