Rouleau Nicolas, Cimino Nicholas
Department of Psychology, Algoma University, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2G4, Canada.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
NeuroSci. 2022 Aug 9;3(3):440-456. doi: 10.3390/neurosci3030032. eCollection 2022 Sep.
Identifying a complete, accurate model of brain function would allow neuroscientists and clinicians to make powerful neuropsychological predictions and diagnoses as well as develop more effective treatments to mitigate or reverse neuropathology. The productive model of brain function, which has been dominant in the field for centuries, cannot easily accommodate some higher-order neural processes associated with consciousness and other neuropsychological phenomena. However, in recent years, it has become increasingly evident that the brain is highly receptive to and readily emits electromagnetic (EM) fields and light. Indeed, brain tissues can generate endogenous, complex EM fields and ultraweak photon emissions (UPEs) within the visible and near-visible EM spectra. EM-based neural mechanisms, such as ephaptic coupling and non-visual optical brain signaling, expand canonical neural signaling modalities and are beginning to disrupt conventional models of brain function. Here, we present an evidence-based argument for the existence of brain processes that are caused by the transmission of extracerebral, EM signals and recommend experimental strategies with which to test the hypothesis. We argue for a synthesis of productive and transmissive models of brain function and discuss implications for the study of consciousness, brain health, and disease.
识别一个完整、准确的脑功能模型将使神经科学家和临床医生能够做出有力的神经心理学预测和诊断，并开发出更有效的治疗方法来减轻或逆转神经病理学。几个世纪以来，在该领域占主导地位的脑功能生成模型难以轻易适应一些与意识及其他神经心理学现象相关的高阶神经过程。然而，近年来越来越明显的是，大脑对电磁场（EM）和光具有高度的接受性且容易发射它们。事实上，脑组织能够在可见和近可见电磁光谱范围内产生内源性的、复杂的电磁场和超微弱光子发射（UPEs）。基于电磁的神经机制，如电突触耦合和非视觉光脑信号传导，扩展了经典的神经信号传导模式，并开始颠覆传统的脑功能模型。在此，我们提出一个基于证据的论点，支持存在由脑外电磁信号传输所引发的脑过程，并推荐用于检验该假设的实验策略。我们主张将脑功能的生成模型和传输模型进行综合，并讨论其对意识、脑健康和疾病研究的意义。
