Astrocytes, comprising roughly 50% of brain cells, are now recognised as active global regulators of brain state rather than passive support cells. They influence alertness, stress response, and motivation by modulating neural networks without requiring structural rewiring—a paradigm shift reshaping neuroscience and psychiatric disease understanding. — "Astrocytes" by NICHD NIH is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. (CC BY 2.0)
Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD, is Editor-in-Chief of the Georgian Medical Journal and Chair of the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG). He is Professor and Head of the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at David Tvildiani Medical University, and Secretary/Treasurer of the UEMS Section of Public Health. ORCID: 0000-0001-7609-4515.
