An emerging role for microglia in stress‐effects on memory
European Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 55, pp. 2491–2518
Abstract
Stressful experiences evoke, among others, a rapid increase in brain (nor)epinephrine (NE) levels and a slower increase in glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) in the brain. Microglia are key regulators of neuronal function and contain receptors for NE and GCs. These brain cells may therefore potentially be involved in modulating stress effects on neuronal function and learning and memory. In this review, we discuss that stress induces (1) an increase in microglial numbers as well as (2) a shift toward a pro-inflammatory profile. These microglia have (3) impaired crosstalk with neurons and (4) disrupted glutamate signaling. Moreover, microglial immune responses after stress (5) alter the kynurenine pathway through metabolites that impair glutamatergic transmission. All these effects could be involved in the impairments in memory and in synaptic plasticity caused by (prolonged) stress, implicating microglia as a potential novel target in stress-related memory impairments.
Authors 9
-
Jeniffer Sanguino‐Gómez corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Brain Plasticity Group SILS‐CNS University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
-
Jacobus C. Buurstede Aachen Department of Medicine Division of Endocrinology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden The Netherlands Department of Medicine Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department of Medicine Division of Endocrinology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden The Netherlands
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
-
Affiliation as printed
Brain Plasticity Group SILS‐CNS University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
-
Affiliation as printed
Brain Plasticity Group SILS‐CNS University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
-
Affiliation as printed
Brain Plasticity Group SILS‐CNS University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
-
University Medical Center Groningen · University of Groningen
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems Section Molecular Neurobiology University of Groningen University Medical Center Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
-
Hospital for Sick Children · University of Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Brain Plasticity Group SILS‐CNS University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health Hospital for Sick Children Toronto ON Canada
Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
-
Onno Cornelis Meijer Aachen Department of Medicine Division of Endocrinology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden The Netherlands Department of Medicine Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department of Medicine Division of Endocrinology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden The Netherlands
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
-
Harm J. Krugers corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Brain Plasticity Group SILS‐CNS University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
Brain Plasticity Group, SILS-CNS, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Cited by 42 stored of 42
No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-11).