Search

• The spectra of glutamate-induced biophotonic emissions was studied in mouse brain slices. • The glutamate-induced biophotonic emissions presented a spectral blueshift from young to old mice. • Use of high-energy biophotons for neural information transmission during the ageing process. • Such a change may lead to cognitive decline. The brain is considered to be a complex system with extremely low energy consumption and high-efficiency information transmission and processing, and this system has not been replicated by any artificial systems so far. Several studies indicate that the activity and transmission of biophotons in neural circuits may play an important role in neural information communication, while the biophotonic spectral redshift from lower to higher in animals may be related to the evolution of intelligence. The ageing processes of higher organisms are often accompanied by a decline in brain functions; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Combining an ultraweak biophoton imaging system with the improved biophoton spectral analysis device, we compared and analyzed the spectra of glutamate-induced biophotonic emissions in mouse brain slices at different ages (newborn, 1, 3, 6, 12, 15, and 18 months). We found that the glutamate-induced biophotonic emissions presented a spectral blueshift from young to old mice, suggesting that the brain may transform to use relatively high-energy biophotons for neural information transmission and processing during the ageing process. Such a change may lead to a gradual decrease in the efficiency of the nervous system and provide a new biophysical mechanism for explaining the ageing-related changes in cognitive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]