Brain energy metabolism as an underlying basis of slow and fast cognitive phenotypes in honeybees.

ABSTRACT: In the context of slow-fast behavioral variation, fast individuals are hypothesized to be those who prioritize speed over accuracy while slow individuals are those which do the opposite. Since energy metabolism is a critical component of neural and cognitive functioning, this predicts such differences in cognitive style to be reflected at the level of the brain. We tested this idea in honeybees by first classifying individuals into slow and fast cognitive phenotypes based on a learning assay and then measuring their brain respiration with high-resolution respirometry. Our results broadly show that inter-individual differences in cognition are reflected in differences in brain mass and accompanying energy use at the level of the brain and the whole animal. Larger brains had lower mass-speci

SUBMITTER: Tait C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11418170 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature