Inverse relationship of the velocities of perceived time and information processing events in the brain: a potential bioassay for neural functions: a hypothesis.
The velocity of elapsing time is not a constant but a relativistic component in the space-time continuum as postulated by Albert Einstein in his general and special relativity theories. The hypothesis presented here is that there is a biological corollary to relativity theory. It is postulated that biological time perception is also not a constant but is related by an inverse relationship between the velocities of neural processing events and perceived elapsing time. A careful analysis of this relationship may potentially offer a sensitive bioassay to determine the integrity of regional brain function under normal conditions and in the presence of specific disease processes. The mechanism for the biological basis of this theorem depends on the presence of a neural circuit developed through evolution which monitors overall brain efficiency and is coordinately linked to neural time perceiving circuits. Several test approaches are presented to validate the hypothesis of biologic time relativity compared to the rate of neural processing.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D001683:Biological Clocks; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004194:Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007257:Information Theory; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology*