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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo
Published on: March 31, 2016
Food for thought: Impact of metabolism on neuronal excitability
Yurika Katsu-Jiménez1, Renato M P Alves1, Alfredo Giménez-Cassina2
1Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Scheeles väg 2, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract:
Neuronal excitability is a highly demanding process that requires high amounts of energy and needs to be exquisitely regulated. For this reason, brain cells display active energy metabolism to support their activity. Independently of their roles as energy substrates, compelling evidence shows that the nature of the fuels that neurons use contribute to fine-tune neuronal excitability. Crosstalk of neurons with glial populations also plays a prominent role in shaping metabolic flow in the brain. In this review, we provide an overview on how different carbon substrates and metabolic pathways impact neurotransmission, and the potential implications for neurological disorders in which neuronal excitability is deregulated, such as epilepsy.
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