<p>This is a very broad question. I'll simplify greatly.</p>

<p>Like most systems, the brain regulates it's moment-to-moment energy needs through control of it's vascular supply. While the vascular supply (to the heart and brain) is regulated (by both baroreceptors and other) to protect against decreased blood flow (that is, the heart and the brain will be preferentially protected against decreased blood flow), the day-to-day energy need fluctuations are still met by brain parenchymal vasodilation/vasoconstriction, often mediated by ion concentration in response to CO<sub>2</sub> levels, etc. There are a host of local and peripheral vasodilators. The most instantaneous of these are a result of Ca<sup>++</sup> and K<sup>+</sup>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The matching of blood flow to regional brain function, called functional hyperemia or neurovascular coupling, involves the coordinated activity of neurons, astrocytes, and parenchymal arterioles. Under physiological conditions, localized neuronal activation leads to elevated astrocyte endfoot Ca(2+) and vasodilation, resulting in an increase in cerebral blood flow. (see also Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 May 22;109(21):E1387-95. for Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels.).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The simplest answer to your question of how the energy needs are met by the brain is through vascular control of the supply of nutrients. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-31T17:08:28.483Z
Thank you very much. That's very helpful. It would have taken me a while to look there. I don't see the other possible implications to my question, or the bias; if it was simpler, I would do a google search.
JackLaurence
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-31T03:14:53.420Z
2014-05-31T03:14:53.420Z
anongoodnurse
<p>For example, the amount of energy that is available for the brain to use, or the amount that the brain consumes with respect to time? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-30T16:37:14.227Z
Energy in the form of blood glucose or ATP levels, maybe?
Nick Stauner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-30T23:43:01.893Z
How does the brain keep its energy consumption and resources in balance so that it doesn't die, maybe there's something that monitors that?
JackLaurence
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-30T23:46:57.960Z
There's quite a lot of info on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_(motivational_state)#Biological_mechanisms)...Are you looking for anything that's not already covered there?
Nick Stauner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-30T23:59:32.470Z
I've looked for a quite a bit and I haven't found something direct enough i.e. hypothalamic receptors, melanocortin receptors, endocannabinoid receptors... temperature and food regulation. I could do tones of piecing together, but it's worth a check to see if someone has already done that!
JackLaurence
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-31T00:03:20.500Z
You might stand a better chance of getting the answer you're looking for if you clarify what you've looked through already and why it's not direct enough.
Nick Stauner
<neurology>
Are there any systems in the brain that are responsible for monitoring energy
JackLaurence
# Are there any systems in the brain that are responsible for monitoring energy

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-30)

For example, the amount of energy that is available for the brain to use, or the amount that the brain consumes with respect to time?

**Tags:** neurology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Energy in the form of blood glucose or ATP levels, maybe?  
> **username_0**: How does the brain keep its energy consumption and resources in balance so that it doesn't die, maybe there's something that monitors that?  
> **username_1**: There's quite a lot of info on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_(motivational_state)#Biological_mechanisms)...Are you looking for anything that's not already covered there?  
> **username_0**: I've looked for a quite a bit and I haven't found something direct enough i.e. hypothalamic receptors, melanocortin receptors, endocannabinoid receptors... temperature and food regulation. I could do tones of piecing together, but it's worth a check to see if someone has already done that!  
> **username_1**: You might stand a better chance of getting the answer you're looking for if you clarify what you've looked through already and why it's not direct enough.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-05-31. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

This is a very broad question. I'll simplify greatly.

Like most systems, the brain regulates it's moment-to-moment energy needs through control of it's vascular supply. While the vascular supply (to the heart and brain) is regulated (by both baroreceptors and other) to protect against decreased blood flow (that is, the heart and the brain will be preferentially protected against decreased blood flow), the day-to-day energy need fluctuations are still met by brain parenchymal vasodilation/vasoconstriction, often mediated by ion concentration in response to CO2 levels, etc. There are a host of local and peripheral vasodilators. The most instantaneous of these are a result of Ca++ and K+.

> The matching of blood flow to regional brain function, called functional hyperemia or neurovascular coupling, involves the coordinated activity of neurons, astrocytes, and parenchymal arterioles. Under physiological conditions, localized neuronal activation leads to elevated astrocyte endfoot Ca(2+) and vasodilation, resulting in an increase in cerebral blood flow. (see also Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 May 22;109(21):E1387-95. for Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels.).

The simplest answer to your question of how the energy needs are met by the brain is through vascular control of the supply of nutrients.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you very much. That's very helpful. It would have taken me a while to look there. I don't see the other possible implications to my question, or the bias; if it was simpler, I would do a google search.  

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