Beyond energy: Expanding metabolic considerations in cognitive modeling

Abstract Integrating metabolism into cognitive science is essential. Beyond a mere constraint, metabolism may be constitutive of cognition itself. This requires expanding metabolism beyond neuronal energy use to include glial contributions, compartmentalized and dynamic processes, and broader brain–body interactions (e.g., interoception). Capturing this complexity will require more refined, integrative models, potentially leveraging artificial intelligence to unify multiscale biological data.