The research activity is aimed at elucidating how individual synapses perform an electro-chemical computation of the signals coming not only from within the same synapse but also from the close environment. In this view, it assumes particular significance the presence of astrocytes, glial cells that are close partners of neurons and that are capable of releasing a number of neurotransmitters and signaling molecules when stimulated. It also follows, that any derangement in the control of all these signals may be the cause of cell malfunctioning and, potentially, basis for the insurgency of pathological conditions. In this perspective, great interest has recently been paid to the role that signaling plays in the induction of neurodegeneration.