Exercise engages a mechanically activated astrocyte state linking muscle activity to hippocampal plasticity

Physical exercise promotes brain health in part through muscle-derived factors that enter the brain, but how peripheral signals are translated into neural responses remain unclear.

Physical exercise promotes brain health in part through muscle-derived factors that enter the brain, but how peripheral signals are translated into neural responses remain unclear. Here, we identify astrocyte contraction as a previously unrecognized physiological response to…