Reaction time as an indicator of insufficient effort: Development and validation of an embedded performance validity parameter.

Subnormal performance in attention tasks may result from various sources including lack of effort. In this report, the derivation and validation of a performance validity parameter for reaction time is described, using a set of malingering-indices ("Slick-criteria"), and 3 independent samples of participants (total n =893). The Slick-criteria yield an estimate of the probability of malingering based on the presence of an external incentive, evidence from neuropsychological testing, from self-report and clinical data.

Laparoscopic transection and immediate repair of obturator nerve during pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Radical pelvic surgery including pelvic lymphadenectomy in the obturator fossa has become a routine endoscopically performed procedure in patients with gynecologic cancer. Nerve injury during these procedures is rare. However, to choose the best surgical procedure, the surgeon must be aware of the anatomical landmarks of the obturator fossa and of various injury mechanisms.

Thrombolysis to treat thrombi of the aortic arch.

Thoracic mobile aortic mural thrombus (TAMT) of the aortic arch is a rare condition. We report 3 cases of symptomatic TAMT treated with systemic alteplase (tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA]) thrombolysis. The first patient was symptomatic with repetitive thromboembolism to the left brachial artery.

Neural pattern dynamics in an oscillator model of the thalamo-reticular system.

One of development issues for information processing with synchronous oscillations in the brain is how new information is coded and how a comparison with already existing information is performed. In the present work we study a simple neural network model of the thalamo-reticular system based on the Wilson-Cowan model of neuronal oscillatory behavior. Our results show that both cortical control over the thalamus and external sensory input are essential in coordinating and generating spatio-temporal patterns of synchronous activity.