Entangled radicals may explain lithium effects on hyperactivity

TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum-mechanical model suggesting lithium's effects on hyperactivity are mediated by radical pair recombination influenced by magnetic fields, potentially explaining isotope dependence and opening new research avenues.

Contribution

It introduces a novel radical-pair mechanism model for lithium's effects on hyperactivity, linking quantum entanglement to neurochemical processes.

Findings

Reproduces isotope-dependent effects of lithium in rats

Predicts magnetic-field influence on lithium efficacy

Suggests quantum entanglement's role in brain function

Abstract

It is known that bipolar disorder and its lithium treatment involve the modulation of oxidative stress. Moreover, it has been observed that lithium's effects are isotope-dependent. Based on these findings, here we propose that lithium exerts its effects by influencing the recombination dynamics of a naturally occurring radical pair involving oxygen. We develop a simple model inspired by the radical-pair mechanism in cryptochrome in the context of avian magnetoreception and xenon-induced anesthesia. Our model reproduces the observed isotopic dependence in the lithium treatment of hyperactivity in rats. It predicts a magnetic-field dependence of the effectiveness of lithium, which provides one potential experimental test of our hypothesis. Our findings show that Nature might harness quantum entanglement for the brain's cognitive processes.