Infrared modulation of ionic and water dynamics of astroglial cells

Astrocytes play a critical role in regulating brain physiology at ionic, synaptic and whole-organ level. Their function is mainly controlled by ionic signalings, in particular Ca2+ signaling, that mediate cell-cell communication. Infrared pulsed stimulation is a label-free tool that has been previously used to modulate neuronal firing. Here we present the use of infrared pulsed light to stimulate ionic astrocytic signaling in order to modulate astroglial physiology. We present infrared pulsed stimulation as a powerful technique to understand astrocytic function and dysfunction.