Neurons are not the only brain cells that think
Astrocytes, for instance, may play a role in depression and anxiety
Most people, if they think about the matter at all, probably think of thinking as something done by the huge network of specialised, electrically conductive cells called neurons that occupies the upper half of their skulls. And, as far as it goes, that is true. The 86bn neurons in a human brain do indeed do much of the cognitive heavy lifting. But not all of it.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “The other brain cells”
From the January 28th 2023 edition
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