User talk:Jonathan E. Rubin

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    I appreciate the improvements to the article. This time around, I took the liberty of making a few direct edits to improve the clarity in a few places; I hope that's OK.

    I still think that the remaining comments should be addressed:

    (1) Fig 1: Why is the link between GPe and GPi black rather than blue (for inhibition)? (And by the way, is there evidence for inhibition from GPi to GPe?)

    (2) "Imbalance..." section: The sentence in lines 4-6 introduce a theory about roles of different pathways that comes from various sources, cited many lines below. I think that this section should be re-ordered so that it is mentioned up front that the given ideas are a theory (i.e., believed by some), with references given early on. Also in this part: Why would the inability to suppress competing programs lead to bradykinesia, as claimed here? A little more explanation is needed.

    (3) Bradykinesia section: This section has only 3 lines about DBS, but the article is supposed to be about modeling DBS! The part about DBS should be expanded/explained in more detail and the other parts shortened to rebalance the material. A reordering could possibly help but that is optional.

    (4) Change in cognitive function section: Same comments apply as in (3).

    (5) "Biophysical models": The first sentence seems to be messed up - it seems to be stating that normal activity is changed relative to pathological, rather than vice versa.

    (6) I think a better Conclusion section could easily be written. Note that a model is not always used to identify problems, although this use is central to the material presented here. I suggest starting with a sentence reminding the reader that DBS is an established PD intervention that is not well understood. Then I'd say something more like "Computational models consisting of simplications of complex brain structures have proven useful for suggesting hypotheses about the sources of PD symptoms and about possible therapeutic mechanisms of DBS surgery." Then you could comment about the advances that will allow us to improve models and the need to develop models relevant to the use of DBS for conditions other than PD.

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