Researchers used visual flickering sensory stimulation to reveal the underlying mechanisms governing microglial morphology and cytokine expression in mice.
By Hugo Francisco de SouzaAug 16 2023Reviewed by Sophia Coveney Microglial cells, the primary immune cells of the brain and central nervous system, are known to undergo striking morphological changes in response to sensory or neural stimuli. However, the mechanisms and specific signals which cause these changes remain unknown.
The influence of brain rhythms and neural entrainment on neuronal electrical function is well documented. However, the influence of these processes on other brain functions, including immune response, remains understudied. Microglial and cytokine response mechanisms to specific neural activity patterns have hitherto been shown to up- or downregulate these cells and protein, respectively. Previous studies by the research group that conducted this study have demonstrated that specific flickering sensory stimulation induces microglial recruitment for pathogen removal in mice with Alzheimer’s disease.
What are flicker experiments, how are they used, and what do they tell us? ‘Flicker’ refers to a noninvasive form of visual sensory stimulation in which animals are exposed to light pulses at specific frequencies. In the present study, researchers used 20 and 40 Hz flickers on murine models to evaluate the role of brain rhythms in altering microglial structure and function and cytokine secretion via NF-κB.
These results were consistent with the authors' work on Alzheimer’s disease mice, albeit more subdued. This implies that healthy and diseased brains respond differently to frequency-specific cytokine modulation.
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