structural:expansion
Nonelectrochemical signaling

Beyond electrical and chemical signaling, studies suggest neurons in healthy human brains can also communicate through:

They can also get modulated by input from the environment and hormones released from other parts of the organism, which could be influenced more or less directly by neurons. This also applies to neurotrophins such as BDNF. The gut microbiome is also connected with the brain. Neurons also communicate with microglia, the brain's main immune cells via specialised contact sites, called "somatic junctions". These connections enable microglia to constantly monitor and regulate neuronal functions, and exert neuroprotection, when needed.