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The Meaning of Microglia

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We normally focus on the function of brain cells that send signals to eachother and communicate across small or long distances, which show differences in ASD. However, we rarely pay attention to the other cells in the brain. One type of cell, called the microglia, has been shown to not only help “pick up the garbage” of the brain, but also shape these connections that occur between brain cells. This week @DavidMenassa1 from @QueensCollegeOx, @UniofOxford, @unisouthampton published a paper in @Dev_Cell that looks at how microglia shape the brain during critical periods of development, and what this means for ASD. We are grateful he shares his expertise (and a beautiful accent) with us this week.

Check out the paper HERE:

https://www.cell.com/developmental-cell/fulltext/S1534-5807(22)00546-9?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1534580722005469%3Fshowall%3Dtrue 

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Gamma waves and autism brains

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Gamma waves are brainwave activity at a certain speed and have been linked to consciousness and seem to help coordinate activity in different parts of the brain.  They have also been associated with processing of information, including sensory information.  This week, researchers at Oxford University led by Dr. David Menassa explore gamma waves in the brains of autistic adults who perform better on a visual processing task than those without a diagnosis.  Gamma waves are controlled by the coordinated activity of neurons in the brain, which are regulated by inhibitory interneurons which make sure excitatory neurons aren’t taking over.  In a study using brain tissue of people with autism, it was found by another study at Oxford that there are fewer of these inhibitory interneurons to control this activity.  Dr. David Menassa provides his own interpretation of the data on this week’s podcast.