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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 17, 2025

A Dual Tracer PET-MRI Protocol for the Quantitative Measure of Regional Brain Energy Substrates Uptake in the Rat

A Dual Tracer PET-MRI Protocol for the Quantitative Measure of Regional Brain Energy Substrates Uptake in the Rat

Published on: December 28, 2013

Brain Fuel Utilization in the Developing Brain.

Pascal Steiner¹

¹Société des Produits Nestlé SA, Nestlé Research, Brain Health Department, Lausanne, Switzerland, pascal.steiner@rdls.nestle.com.

Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism

|June 22, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The developing brain uses glucose and ketone bodies (KBs) for energy and building blocks. Understanding nutrient availability, like from breast milk, is crucial for optimal brain development.

Keywords:

Aerobic glycolysis Brain development Brain metabolism Energetic and anabolic needs Glucose Ketone bodies Metabolism Myelin Neurogenesis Oxidative phosphorylation Synapse

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Metabolic Science

Background:

The human brain undergoes rapid growth during pregnancy and infancy, with significant increases in volume.
This rapid development requires substantial energy, exceeding that of other organs.
While glucose fuels the adult brain, it may be insufficient for developmental metabolic demands.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe cellular and physiological processes driving brain development.
To explain how metabolic pathways support brain growth and function.
To investigate the roles of glucose and ketone bodies (KBs) in brain development.

Main Methods:

Review of cellular and physiological processes in brain development.
Analysis of brain metabolic pathways and substrate utilization.
Discussion of the metabolism of glucose and KBs for energy and biosynthesis.

Main Results:

The brain utilizes both glucose and KBs to meet high energy demands during development.
Glucose and KBs provide essential carbon backbones for synthesizing lipids, nucleic acids, and cholesterol.
These macromolecules are critical for neuronal proliferation, connectivity, and myelination.

Conclusions:

Glucose and KBs are vital for both energy supply and biosynthesis in the developing brain.
These substrates support structural brain growth and reorganization.
Optimal nutrition, including glucose and fatty acids for KB production (e.g., in breast milk), is key for brain development.