Neural processing without O 2 and glucose delivery: from the pond to the clinic.

Neuronal activity requires a large amount of ATP, leading to a rapid collapse of brain function when aerobic respiration fails. Here, we summarize how rhythmic motor circuits in the brainstem of adult frogs, which normally have high metabolic demands, transform to produce proper output during severe hypoxia associated with emergence from hibernation. We suggest that general principles underlying plasticity in brain bioenergetics may be uncovered by studying non-mammalian models that face extreme environments, yielding new insights to combat neurological disorders involving dysfunctional energy metabolism.