Date Time
Eavesdropping on pH Levels Inside Brain
Researchers at Tohoku University have developed the first all-in-one miniature pH probe for real-time investigations of intrinsic extracellular pH dynamics in the deep brain structures.
In our brain, over billions of dedicated workers – neurons and glial cells – form complex and efficient networks that constantly communicate with each other via subtle chemical signals to govern our behavioral output.
The brain chemistry is the fundamental language among brain cells. In our healthy brains, the chemistry stays relatively neutral and must constantly regulate the acid-alkaline fluctuations; otherwise it can lead to chronic brain disorders such as mental illness, glioma and seizures. Correlating in brain pH fluctuations with brain signaling and functions, therefore, provides a clearer understanding of the influence of pH on how our brain operates and how it malfunctions in a diseased state.