A New Computational Model for Astrocytes and Their Role in Biologically Realistic Neural Networks

<div>Simplified signaling pathways in a tripartite synapse. The astrocyte receives <svg height="8.8423pt" id="M57" style="vertical-align:-0.2064009pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 19.3465 8.8423" width="19.3465pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M405 650H141L135 622C222 616 230 610 215 535L133 116C118 41 113 33 29 28L23 0H289L295 28C209 33 205 40 219 116L298 535C312 609 317 616 399 622L405 650Z" id="g113-74"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,4.915,0)"><path d="M600 480C600 590 528 650 384 650H143L137 622C222 614 225 607 210 531L130 127C113 41 106 36 23 28L17 0H294L300 28C204 36 195 42 212 127L243 284L314 263C327 263 339 263 352 264C465 271 600 337 600 480ZM508 481C508 351 402 304 329 304C289 304 265 311 250 317L295 559C302 594 310 606 323 611C335 616 350 619 367 619C455 619 508 573 508 481Z" id="g113-81"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,12.941,0)"><path d="M285 378C315 398 338 416 353 432C373 451 384 474 384 503C384 579 325 635 236 635H235C182 635 136 610 108 579L65 516L85 496C110 533 150 575 205 575C258 575 300 543 300 481C300 407 232 369 141 339L147 310C163 315 188 321 211 321C268 321 338 284 338 192C338 94 288 40 217 40C160 40 119 68 93 91C85 98 77 97 69 91C60 84 47 71 46 58C44 46 48 35 62 22C75 10 116 -12 162 -12C234 -12 424 62 424 224C424 297 373 359 285 376V378Z" id="g113-52"></path></g></svg> from the presynaptic neuron and <svg height="11.0031pt" id="M58" style="vertical-align:-0.2064009pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -10.7967 12.7422 11.0031" width="12.7422pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M480 416C480 431 465 448 438 448C388 448 312 383 252 330C217 299 188 273 155 237H153L257 680C262 700 263 712 253 712C240 712 183 684 97 674L92 648L126 647C166 646 172 645 163 606L23 -6L29 -12C51 -5 77 2 107 8C115 62 130 128 142 180C153 193 179 220 204 241C231 170 259 106 288 54C317 0 336 -12 358 -12C381 -12 423 2 477 80L460 100C434 74 408 54 398 54C385 54 374 65 351 107C326 154 282 241 263 299C296 332 351 377 403 377C424 377 436 372 445 368C449 366 456 368 462 375C472 386 480 402 480 416Z" id="g113-108"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,6.539,-5.741)"><path d="M556 236V289H337V504H275V289H56V236H275V-4H337V236H556Z" id="g54-36"></path></g></svg> from the postsynaptic neuron. The astrocyte sends glutamate to the synapse and the postsynaptic neuron as shown by <svg height="8.8423pt" id="M59" style="vertical-align:-0.2064009pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 15.2884 8.8423" width="15.2884pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M673 297H417L411 270C517 261 522 258 506 183L487 92C476 38 428 19 360 19C207 19 123 132 123 287C123 472 243 631 441 631C557 631 617 583 617 469L647 472C650 545 655 604 658 632C625 643 554 666 467 666C201 666 23 502 23 278C23 90 156 -16 339 -16C410 -16 501 6 569 24C566 43 567 70 573 101L589 183C604 259 607 262 667 271L673 297Z" id="g113-72"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,8.892,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z" id="g113-50"></path></g></svg> and <span class="nowrap"><svg height="8.8423pt" id="M60" style="vertical-align:-0.2064009pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 15.2884 8.8423" width="15.2884pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M673 297H417L411 270C517 261 522 258 506 183L487 92C476 38 428 19 360 19C207 19 123 132 123 287C123 472 243 631 441 631C557 631 617 583 617 469L647 472C650 545 655 604 658 632C625 643 554 666 467 666C201 666 23 502 23 278C23 90 156 -16 339 -16C410 -16 501 6 569 24C566 43 567 70 573 101L589 183C604 259 607 262 667 271L673 297Z" id="g113-72"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,8.892,0)"><path d="M412 140C382 77 369 73 315 73H129L270 222C362 320 402 379 402 466C402 571 322 635 234 635C177 635 130 609 99 576L42 495L64 475C90 514 133 568 201 568C274 568 318 519 318 435C318 349 255 267 193 193C144 135 87 78 32 23V0H405C417 45 427 89 440 131L412 140Z" id="g113-51"></path></g></svg>.</span></div>

Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience

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Figure 4

Figure 4: A New Computational Model for Astrocytes and Their Role in Biologically Realistic Neural Networks 