# Quantum entanglement in the voltage dependent sodium channel can reproduce the salient features of neuronal action potential initiation - Physics > Biological Physics

Abstract: We investigate the effects of a quantum entanglement regime within an ionconducting molecule ion channel of the neuronal plasma membrane on the onsetdynamics of propagating nerve pulses action potentials. In particular, wemodel the onset parameters of the sodium current in the Hodgkin Huxley equationas three similar but independent probabilistic mechanisms which become quantumentangled. The underlying physics is general and can involve entanglementbetween various degrees of freedom underlaying ion transition states or -gatingstates- during conduction, e.g. Na$^+$ ions in different channel locations, ordifferent -affinity- states of ions with atoms lining the sub-regions of thechannel protein -filter-states-. We find that the -quantum corrected- HodgkinHuxley equation incorporating entangled systems states can reproduce actionpotential pulses with the critical onset dynamics observed recently inneocortical neurons in vivo by Naundorf et al. Nature {\bf 440}, 1060 20April 2006. Interestingly, the suggested entanglement term can also slow downaction potential initiation.

Author: Johann Summhammer, Gustav Bernroider

Source: https://arxiv.org/