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Updated: Aug 16, 2025

Measurement of Energy Metabolism in Explanted Retinal Tissue Using Extracellular Flux Analysis
Published on: January 7, 2019
Paying the brain's energy bill
Zahid Padamsey1, Nathalie L Rochefort2
1Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
How have animals managed to maintain metabolically expensive brains given the volatile and fleeting availability of calories in the natural world? Here we review studies in support of three strategies that involve: 1) a reallocation of energy from peripheral tissues and functions to cover the costs of the brain, 2) an implementation of energy-efficient neural coding, enabling the brain to operate at reduced energy costs, and 3) efficient use of costly neural resources during food scarcity. Collectively, these studies reveal a heterogeneous set of energy-saving mechanisms that make energy-costly brains fit for survival.
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