Thermodynamic properties and Hilbert space of the human brain
arXiv Preprint Archive November 20, 2021 Dongmei Shi, Meng Li, Martin Walter et al.
The brain's functional connectivity patterns can be modeled using ensemble theory from statistical physics. In this framework, dynamic functional connectivity patterns (microstates) are linearly combined to produce static functional connectivity (the macrostate). Applying this model to the effect of ketamine on the brain, the authors show that the maximum work principle indicates the brain's capacity to do work declines significantly after ketamine injection compared to a control condition. Additionally, a quantum mechanical operator for the brain is identified, and a Hilbert space spanned by its eigenvectors is constructed, suggesting that quantum mechanics may provide new tools for studying brain systems.