The causal consciousness: presynaptic beta-neurexin promotes neuromediator release via vibrational multidimensional tunneling
arXiv Preprint Archive October 13, 2002 preprint
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Quant-ph Quantum-biology Consciousness-studies Brain-chemistry |
| Key points | Argues that quantum effects in microtubules can causally influence neurotransmitter release via a specific molecular mechanism involving beta-neurexin and synaptotagmin-1, making epiphenomenalism untenable. |
Abstract
Epiphenomenalism is shown to be absurd because the development of consciousness must be explainable through natural selection. A detailed neuromolecular basis of the neuromediator release is given and it is stressed on the possible key point where the quantum mind could act, namely presynaptic scaffold protein dynamics and detachment of the calcium sensor v-SNARE synaptotagmin-1. The beta-neurexin molecules are tuned via fast propagating solitons by the quantum coherent microtubule network so that the beta-neurexin molecule thermal vibrations could promote or suppress conformational changes via vibrational multidimensional tunneling, which drives synaptotagmin-1 detachment from the SNARE complex under calcium ion binding. Following the synaptotagmin-1 detachment membrane fusion takes place in SNARE dependent fashion and the presynaptic vesicle spills neuromediator in the synaptic cleft. Thus the quantum transfer of information causally affects the neuromediator release.