Biology – Quantitative Biology – Neurons and Cognition
Scientific paper
2012-04-17
PLoS ONE 7(3): e33425 (2012)
Biology
Quantitative Biology
Neurons and Cognition
brain development, synaptogenesis, brain metabolism
Scientific paper
10.1371/journal.pone.0033425
During mammalian development the cerebral metabolic rate correlates qualitatively with synaptogenesis, and both often exhibit bimodal temporal profiles. Despite these non-monotonic dependencies, it is found based on empirical data for different mammals that regional metabolic rate per synapse is approximately conserved from birth to adulthood for a given species (with a slight deviation from this constancy for human visual and temporal cortices during adolescence). A typical synapse uses about $(7\pm 2)\cdot 10^{3}$ glucose molecules per second in primate cerebral cortex, and about 5 times of that amount in cat and rat visual cortices. A theoretical model for brain metabolic expenditure is used to estimate synaptic signaling and neural spiking activity during development. It is found that synaptic efficacy is generally inversely correlated with average firing rate, and additionally, synapses consume a bulk of metabolic energy, roughly $50-90 %$ during most of the developmental process (except human temporal cortex $ < 50%$). Overall, these results suggest a tight regulation of brain electrical and chemical activities during the formation and consolidation of neural connections. This presumably reflects strong energetic constraints on brain development.
No associations
LandOfFree
Approximate invariance of metabolic energy per synapse during development in mammalian brains does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Approximate invariance of metabolic energy per synapse during development in mammalian brains, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Approximate invariance of metabolic energy per synapse during development in mammalian brains will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-410769