Astrocytes maintain and stabilize PPN neural function, with a variety of mechanisms, whilst also having the potential to directly influence neuronal function through neuromodulatory receptors and calcium waves. These effects are heterogeneous in nature, based on the background of the neural network in which the astrocytes reside. This is in confirmation with the supportive role that astrocytes are known to have based on astrocyte-neural relationships, but unlike in cortical regions where astrocytes have certain synchronizing roles, they are less pronounced in the brainstem. Still, they have many of the similar mechanisms of influence such as SICs and tonic currents. These mechanisms are very likely involved in the varied functions of the PPN including wakefulness, sensory gating, reward, locomotion, attention and associated learning and active memory. Perhaps the understanding of the in vivo significance of astrocyte overstimulation can be compared to the known pathogenesis and clinical features of diseases such as Parkinson’s and more specifically Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Our conducted experiment can help prove that our DREADD modified mice can act as models of PSP and consequently models for pharmacological testing in PSP management and treatment.