An energy costly architecture of neuromodulators for human brain evolution and cognition
Evidence
Sci Adv. 2023 Dec 15;9(50):eadi7632. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adi7632. Epub 2023 Dec 13.
ABSTRACT
In comparison to other species, the human brain exhibits one of the highest energy demands relative to body metabolism. It remains unclear whether this heightened energy demand uniformly supports an enlarged brain or if specific signaling mechanisms necessitate greater energy. We hypothesized that the regional distribution of energy demands will reveal signaling strategies that have contributed to human cognitive development. We measured the energy distribution within the brain functional connectome using multimodal brain imaging and found that signaling pathways in evolutionarily expanded regions have up to 67% higher energetic costs than those in sensory-motor regions. Additionally, histology, transcriptomic data, and molecular imaging independently reveal an up-regulation of signaling at G-protein-coupled receptors in energy-demanding regions. Our findings indicate that neuromodulator activity is predominantly involved in cognitive functions, such as reading or memory processing. This study suggests that an up-regulation of neuromodulator activity, alongside increased brain size, is a crucial aspect of human brain evolution.
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jun 18:2024.06.17.599426. doi: 10.1101/2024.06.17.599426.ABSTRACTDecades of neuroscience research has shown that macroscale brain dynamics can be reliably decomposed into a subset of large-scale...
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jun 17:2024.06.17.598162. doi: 10.1101/2024.06.17.598162.ABSTRACTUnderstanding how animals coordinate movements to achieve goals is a fundamental pursuit in neuroscience. Here we explore how neurons...
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jun 17:2024.06.17.598162. doi: 10.1101/2024.06.17.598162.ABSTRACTUnderstanding how animals coordinate movements to achieve goals is a fundamental pursuit in neuroscience. Here we explore how neurons...
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jun 17:2024.06.16.599236. doi: 10.1101/2024.06.16.599236.ABSTRACTLarge-scale networks underpin brain functions. How such networks respond to focal stimulation can help decipher complex brain processes and...
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jun 17:2024.06.16.599236. doi: 10.1101/2024.06.16.599236.ABSTRACTLarge-scale networks underpin brain functions. How such networks respond to focal stimulation can help decipher complex brain processes and...
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Jun 14;15:1416668. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1416668. eCollection 2024.ABSTRACTDiabetic retinopathy (DR) stands as a prevalent complication in the eye resulting from diabetes mellitus, predominantly...
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.