Striatal Astrocytes Influence Dopamine Dynamics and Behavioral State Transitions
We demonstrate here that astrocytes in the striatum interact with striatal dopamine in bidirectional signaling with dopamine release actively driving surges in astrocytic Ca++, which in turn modulate and reduce subsequent dopamine release. These Ca++ surges accurately predict behavioral state changes from task-engaged to task-disengaged states, but fail to predict detailed action parameters. We propose that interactions between striatal astrocytes and dopamine are strong candidates to modulate nigro-striato-nigral loop function underlying on-going behavioral state dynamics.
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