Dynamics of specialization in neural modules under resource constraints.

The brain is structurally and functionally modular, although recent evidence has raised questions about the extent of both types of modularity. Using a simple, toy artificial neural network setup that allows for precise control, we find that structural modularity does not in general guarantee functional specialization (across multiple measures of specialization). Further, in this setup (1) specialization only emerges when features of the environment are meaningfully separable, (2) specialization preferentially emerges when the network is strongly resource-constrained, and (3) these findings are qualitatively similar across several different variations of network architectures.

Associations Between Retinal Vascular Occlusions and Dementia.

Background/objectives: Retinal vascular occlusions, such as retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and retinal artery occlusion (RAO), are associated with cognitive impairment, including dementia. Our objective was to examine the odds of dementia among patients with retinal vascular occlusion.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 474 patients with retinal vascular occlusion and 948 patients without retinal vascular occlusion (comparison group).

Adapting to time: Why nature may have evolved a diverse set of neurons.

Brains have evolved diverse neurons with varying morphologies and dynamics that impact temporal information processing. In contrast, most neural network models use homogeneous units that vary only in spatial parameters (weights and biases). To explore the importance of temporal parameters, we trained spiking neural networks on tasks with varying temporal complexity, holding different parameter subsets constant.

Impact of Demographic Modifiers on Readability of Myopia Education Materials Generated by Large Language Models.

Background: The rise of large language models (LLM) promises to widely impact healthcare providers and patients alike. As these tools reflect the biases of currently available data on the internet, there is a risk that increasing LLM use will proliferate these biases and affect information quality. This study aims to characterize the effects of different race, ethnicity, and gender modifiers in question prompts presented to three large language models (LLM) on the length and readability of patient education materials about myopia.

Design and Framework of a Technology-Based Closed-Loop Referral Project for Care Coordination of Social Determinants of Health.

Screening for social determinants of health (SDOH) has been mandated by health systems nationwide. However, a gap exists in closed-loop referral for care coordination between health care and social services. This article presents the framework of a technology-based project to facilitate closed-loop referral between health care and social service agencies in Greater Houston by leveraging and connecting the existing care coordination technology infrastructure.