Methods of treating glioma are provided. Aspects of the invention include administering a therapeutically-effective amount of an agent that inhibits the activity of one or more neuronal activity-regulated proteins selected from: neuroligin-3, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), or brevican, to a patient with a glioma. In certain embodiments, the subject methods involve treating a neurological dysfunction, reducing invasion of a glioma cell into brain tissue, and/or reducing the growth rate of a glioma in the patient. Also provided herein are methods for identifying an agent that modulates the mitotic index of a glial cell, and methods for stimulating the proliferation of a glial cell. Kits that find use in practicing the subject methods are also provided.
