Broken detailed balance and entropy production in the human brain
Abstract
To perform biological functions, living systems must break detailed balance by consuming energy and producing entropy. At microscopic scales, broken detailed balance enables a suite of molecular and cellular functions, including computations, kinetic proofreading, sensing, adaptation, and transportation. But do macroscopic violations of detailed balance enable higher-order biological functions, such as cognition and movement? To answer this question, we adapt tools from nonequilibrium statistical mechanics to quantify broken detailed balance in complex living systems. Analyzing neural recordings from hundreds of human subjects, we find that the brain violates detailed balance at large scales and that these violations increase with physical and cognitive exertion. Generally, we provide a flexible framework for investigating broken detailed balance at large scales in complex systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 17, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.2109889118
Entities
People
- Christopher W. Lynn
- Danielle Bassett
- Eli J Cornblath
- Lia Papadopoulos
- Maxwell A. Bertolero
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- City University of New York
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- James S. McDonnell Foundation
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- National Science Foundation
- Princeton University
- United States Army Research Laboratory
- University of Oregon
- University of Pennsylvania