AI Article Synopsis
- The brain uses a lot of energy to process information because it relies on tiny particles called ions that move around, creating voltage changes.
- This article looks at how much energy is used by specific connections in the brain (called glutamatergic synapses) and how this energy is balanced before and after the signals are sent.
- It also talks about how evolution has shaped these connections to be more efficient and whether the brain can sense and control its energy use.
Article Abstract
As for electronic computation, neural information processing is energetically expensive. This is because information is coded in the brain as membrane voltage changes, which are generated largely by passive ion movements down electrochemical gradients, and these ion movements later need to be reversed by active ATP-dependent ion pumping. This article will review how much of the energetic cost of the brain reflects the activity of glutamatergic synapses, consider the relative amount of energy used pre- and postsynaptically, outline how evolution has energetically optimised synapse function by adjusting the presynaptic release probability and the postsynaptic number of glutamate receptors, and speculate on how energy use by synapses may be sensed and adjusted. This article is part of the special Issue on 'Glutamate Receptors - The Glutamatergic Synapse'.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108727 | DOI Listing |
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