A controversial 20-year-old theory of consciousness claims that consciousness derives from a deeper level, finer scale activities inside brain neurons (Consciousness States Research).
The recent discovery of quantum vibrations in "microtubules" inside brain neurons corroborates this theory, according to review authors Stuart Hameroff and Sir Roger Penrose (Neuroscience of Consciousness). They suggest that EEG rhythms (brain waves) also derive from deeper level microtubule vibrations and that from a practical standpoint, treating brain microtubule vibrations could benefit a host of mental, neurological, and cognitive conditions (Physiology & Behavior).
But could this effect be also present in the NIRS systems?
It is still unclear why human beings hold higher intelligence than other animals on Earth and which brain properties might explain the differences. Recent studies have demonstrated that biophotons may play a key role in neural information processing and encoding and that biophotons may be involved in quantum brain mechanisms; however, the importance of biophotons in relation to animal intelligence, including that of human beings, is not clear.
Human beings hold higher intelligence than other animals on Earth; however, it is still unclear which brain properties might explain the underlying mechanisms. The brain is a major energy-consuming organ compared with other organs.
Neural signal communications and information processing in neural circuits play an important role in the realization of various neural functions, whereas improvement in cognitive function is driven by the need for more effective communication that requires less energy.
Combining the ultraweak biophoton imaging system (UBIS) with the biophoton spectral analysis device (BSAD), the researchers [1] found that glutamate-induced biophotonic activities and transmission in the brain, which has recently been demonstrated as a novel neural signal communication mechanism, present a spectral redshift from animals (in order of bullfrog, mouse, chicken, pig, and monkey) to humans, even up to a near-infrared wavelength (∼865 nm) in the human brain.
This wavelength is close to the NIRS operating wavelength (750nm and 830nm).
It should be emphasized that despite the use of entangled photons has realized quantum teleportation (transmission), however, it is still not clear how the brain carries out neural information transfer, coding, and storage via biophotons.
Recent experimental results have shown that biophotons may transmit along neural fibers and in neural circuits, and theoretical analyses have proposed that it is possible to realize the intensity and spectral coding and quantum computation via microtubules based on the physical features of biophotons.
In addition, although the biophotonic intensity is very weak, this may not affect them as a quantum information carrier because, according to the assumption and current experiential findings of the quantum teleportation (transmission), the change of quantum state would likely lead to information transfer if such a state is in quantum entanglement.
Taken together, this new evidence and a controversial theory open a debate regarding if our measuring systems can affect the brain of our experimental subjects.
References
[1] Human high intelligence is involved in spectral redshift of biophotonic activities in the brain. Zhuo Wang, Niting Wang, Zehua Li, Fangyan Xiao, and Jiapei Dai.
[2] Jerison HJ (1985) Animal intelligence as encephalization. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 308(1135):21–35..Abstract/FREE Full TextGoogle Scholar
[3] Byrne R (1995) The Thinking Ape: Evolutionary Origins of Intelligence (Oxford Univ Press, New York)..Google Scholar
[4] Gibson KR (2002) Evolution of human intelligence: The roles of brain size and mental construction. Brain Behav Evol 59(1-2):10–20..CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
[5] Bouchard TJ Jr (2014) Genes, evolution and intelligence. Behav Genet 44(6):549–577..CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
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