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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Visualizing Monocarboxylates and Other Relevant Metabolites in the Ex Vivo Drosophila Larval Brain Using Genetically Encoded Sensors

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Published on: October 27, 2023

The selfish brain: Competition for energy resources.

¹Medical Clinic, Lübeck, Germany. achim.peters@uk-sh.de

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council

|November 17, 2010

Summary

A healthy brain

Area of Science:

Metabolic disorders
Neuroscience
Physiology

Background:

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are significant global health issues.
Current understanding of energy homeostasis often overlooks the brain's active role in glucose demand.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce the concept of "competent brain-pull" as a key regulator of systemic homeostasis.
To propose "incompetent brain-pull" as the underlying cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Main Methods:

A "supply chain" model of energy flux from environment to brain.
Analysis of data supporting the link between incompetent brain-pull, food abundance, and metabolic disease.
Experimental study of healthy men under psychosocial stress to investigate brain energy demand mechanisms.

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Main Results:

Incompetent brain-pull under food abundance leads to energy buildup, causing obesity and type 2 diabetes.
A competent brain-pull is crucial for maintaining brain energy levels during food deprivation.
During stress, the brain employs "cerebral insulin suppression" to meet its heightened energy demands.

Conclusions:

The brain's "competent brain-pull" is essential for maintaining both cerebral and peripheral energy homeostasis.
Dysregulation of this brain-pull mechanism contributes to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The "Selfish Brain" theory provides a framework for understanding these energy regulation processes.