Metabolic Neurophilosophy: Linking Brain Function with Body Metabolism

Abstract This special issue of Biochemistry (Moscow) “Interaction between Neural Signals and Metabolic Pathways: Role in the Functioning of a Healthy and Diseased Brain”, includes studies on the mechanisms of close functional connections between the brain and other organs and tissues of the body. These mechanisms link brain metabolism with its signaling function under normal and pathological conditions. The metabolic signals that enable these connections are the focus of research in this field, which is crucial for an integrated understanding of how the body functions. An impairment in metabolic signaling leads to the development of various pathologies. Metabolites such as glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids act as primary signals that influence neural networks and brain chemistry. This connection between the body’s metabolism and brain signaling is not merely a matter of fuel supply, but rather a complex information exchange process. The interaction between the brain and the body occurs within the framework of coordinated work of two main axes: the brain-to-body axis (“from top to bottom” or from center to periphery), and the body-to-brai