The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex "Frontal Lobe" tasks: a latent variable analysis.

▪ Abstract The prefrontal cortex has long been suspected to play an important role in cognitive control, in the ability to orchestrate thought and action in accordance with internal goals. Its neural basis, however, has remained a mystery. Here, we propose that cognitive control stems from the active maintenance of patterns of activity in the prefrontal cortex that represent goals and the means to achieve them. They provide bias signals to other brain structures whose net effect is to guide the flow of activity along neural pathways that establish the proper mappings between inputs, internal states, and outputs needed to perform a given task. We review neurophysiological, neurobiological, neuroimaging, and computational studies that support this theory and discuss its implications as well as further issues to be addressed

/pdf/an-integrative-theory-of-prefrontal-cortex-function-2j9unprn5f.pdf

An integrative theory of prefrontal cortex function

Co-Planar Stereotaxic Atlas of the Human Brain—3-Dimensional Proportional System: An Approach to Cerebral Imaging, J. Talairach, P. Tournoux. Georg Thieme Verlag, New York (1988), 122 pp., 130 figs. DM 268

Today's Web-enabled deluge of electronic data calls for automated methods of data analysis. Machine learning provides these, developing methods that can automatically detect patterns in data and then use the uncovered patterns to predict future data. This textbook offers a comprehensive and self-contained introduction to the field of machine learning, based on a unified, probabilistic approach. The coverage combines breadth and depth, offering necessary background material on such topics as probability, optimization, and linear algebra as well as discussion of recent developments in the field, including conditional random fields, L1 regularization, and deep learning. The book is written in an informal, accessible style, complete with pseudo-code for the most important algorithms. All topics are copiously illustrated with color images and worked examples drawn from such application domains as biology, text processing, computer vision, and robotics. Rather than providing a cookbook of different heuristic methods, the book stresses a principled model-based approach, often using the language of graphical models to specify models in a concise and intuitive way. Almost all the models described have been implemented in a MATLAB software package--PMTK (probabilistic modeling toolkit)--that is freely available online. The book is suitable for upper-level undergraduates with an introductory-level college math background and beginning graduate students.

Machine Learning : A Probabilistic Perspective

Background and Purpose—The authors present an overview of the current evidence and management recommendations for evaluation and treatment of adults with acute ischemic stroke. The intended audienc...

/pdf/guidelines-for-the-early-management-of-patients-with-acute-19udbft6e7.pdf

Guidelines for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

Lesion localization of phonological agraphia

Background Central neurogenic hyperventilation is a rare condition with poorly understood pathophysiology. Objective To describe a patient with central neurogenic hyperventilation caused by an infiltrative brainstem lymphoma. Conclusion Based on analysis of this patient and other case reports, we propose that central neurogenic hyperventilation is uniquely the result of infiltrative tumors that stimulate pontine respiratory centers and central chemoreceptors.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/articlepdf/789555/NOB40165.pdf

Central Neurogenic Hyperventilation: A Case Report and Discussion of Pathophysiology

Fast and efficient visuotemporal attention requires the cerebellum.

Whiplash is the commonly applied term for sprain or strain of the cervical region caused by sudden flexion-extension movements, most typically as a result of rear-end collisions. A specific diagnosis such as fracture, dislocation, herniated disc, root or plexus injury, or spinal cord injury overrides a diagnosis of whiplash. Thus, patients with whiplash do not have overt structural abnormalities. The forceful flexion-extension injury may damage cervical muscles, longitudinal vertebral ligaments, capsules of the facet joints, or the intervertebral discs. Whiplash causes neck pain, headache, and a variety of upper extremity regional pain or paresthetic symptoms either referred or possibly due to plexus compression by injured muscles. In most patients, pain gradually decreases over days to weeks, and by 6 months most patients are asymptomatic.1 Early treatment may utilize brief immobilization (collar), a short course of muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory analgesics (aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]), heat and ultrasound begun after a few days, massage, gradual mobilization, and strengthening. A cervical pillow may prevent inadvertent exacerbation due to poor positioning during sleep. A variety of nontraditional treatments are often used, mostly chiropractic and acupuncture. The exact, best treatment is not known. A minority of patients have persistent or worsening pain despite treatment.

The causes of persistent symptoms-chronic whiplash-are unknown. Pearce waded into this controversy in an editorial in Neurology in 1994, concluding that there was little evidence for a structural basis for chronic whiplash.2 Subsequent correspondence was vitriolic: polemics, doctrines, promotion of confusion, liars, malingerers, hysterics, neurotics, and egregious errors were mentioned. In his response, Dr. Pearce parried these thrusts skillfully, although there must have been some superficial flesh wounds.3 Chronic whiplash may "evolve" into fibromyalgia, a diagnosis by committee that inflames the extremists and leaves no unscorched ground for the moderates.4,5 Some patients also have cognitive …

In the pursuit of proof of brain damage after whiplash injury

https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(98)90060-0/pdf

Michael P. Alexander

Papers

Lesion localization of phonological agraphia

Central Neurogenic Hyperventilation: A Case Report and Discussion of Pathophysiology

Fast and efficient visuotemporal attention requires the cerebellum.

In the pursuit of proof of brain damage after whiplash injury

Recovery of arm function in patients with paresis after traumatic brain injury