What does the research say about metabolic complexity?

Metabolic complexity

There is 1 paper on metabolic complexity in aging research: 1 observational study in people. The newest story, Nov 3, 2026: “Brain glucose signals were less complex in older adults”.

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2 new papers in 30 daysSee all 9 papers on metabolic complexity

“Greater metabolic complexity was associated with greater network metastability, particularly in unimodal and higher-order associative networks.”

Metabolic complexity in the human brain supports metastable network dynamics and declines in normative ageingbioRxiv2026doi:10.64898/2026.11.02.763776

Humans1

Associations

Cognitive function

upin humans1

1 study

Metabolic complexity is associated with cognitive function in humans (association largely accounted for by age variance).
“Higher global metabolic complexity was associated with better cognitive performance”
Humansassociation largely accounted for by age variancebrainn = 84
Brain glucose signals were less complex in older adults
bioRxivNov 3, 2026Preprint

Older age

downin humans1

1 study

Older age is associated with metabolic complexity in humans.
“Greater regional metabolic complexity also correlated with greater cortical thickness, cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMRglc) and cerebral blood flow, and was lower in older than younger adults.”
Humansbrainn = 84
Brain glucose signals were less complex in older adults
bioRxivNov 3, 2026Preprint

Cortical thickness

upin humans1

1 study

Metabolic complexity is associated with cortical thickness in humans (regional metabolic complexity).
“Greater regional metabolic complexity also correlated with greater cortical thickness, cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMRglc) and cerebral blood flow”
Humansregional metabolic complexitycerebral cortexn = 84
Brain glucose signals were less complex in older adults
bioRxivNov 3, 2026Preprint

Latest

4 papers in 12 months

bioRxivNov 3

Brain glucose signals were less complex in older adults

An observational study of 84 adults linked more complex glucose signals to greater variation in brain network coordination; cognitive associations largely reflected age…An observational study of 84 adults linked more complex glucose signals to greater variation in brain network coordination; cognitive associations largely reflected age differences.

Preprint: cross-sectional · 84 peopleBiomarkers