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Sleep Science Podcast
We spend a third of our lives sleeping, and this podcast is all about understanding sleep. We know a lot about what the brain does in sleep, but we are just starting to understand why it does some of these things, and even more excitingly, how we can take full advantage of sleep and also manipulate it for our own ends. In each episode, neuroscientist Penny Lewis interviews a different sleep researcher, talking about a various aspect of sleep science. Topics include sleep physiology and medicine, circadian rhythm, how sleep impacts on our memories and creativity, Sleep Engineering for enhanced health and cognition, and the most recent technologies to promote sleep.©SleepSciencePodcast 2021. These materials may be downloaded for personal use only. They may not be shared, distributed or reproduced in any form or for any reason without express permission
Sleep Science Podcast
S3E8 - Michele Bellesi - Glial Cells and the Architecture of Sleep
In this episode, we welcome neuroscientist Michele Bellesi from the University of Camerino to explore the fascinating world of glial cells and their dynamic role in sleep.
Michele guides us through the four types of glial cells:
- Astrocytes: Regulators of synaptic function and help form the blood brain barrier (BBB)
- Oligodendrocytes: Crucial for myelination and fast signal transmission
- Microglia: The brain's immune sentinels, important for responding to infection and injury as well as shaping the synaptic landscape
- Ependymal Cells: Involved in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production and CFS movement around the brain
We dive into how each of these cells types behaves differently across wake, sleep and sleep deprivation and the impacts on each cell types function.
Find out more about Michele's work here and see relevant papers below.
- The role of sleep and wakefulness in myelin plasticity, 2019, Glia
- Sleep loss promotes astrocytic phagocytosis and microglial activation in mouse cerebral cortex, 2017, Journal of Neuroscience
- Effects of sleep and wake on astrocytes: clues from molecular and ultrastructural studies, 2015, BMC Biology
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