The intralaminar thalamus, in particular the centromedian-parafascicular complex, forms a strategic node between ascending information from the spinal cord and brainstem and forebrain circuitry that involves the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia. A large body of evidence shows that this functionally heterogeneous region regulates information transmission in different cortical circuits, and is involved in a variety of functions, including cognition, arousal, consciousness, and processing of pain signals. Not surprisingly, the intralaminar thalamus has been a target area for (radio)surgical ablation and deep brain stimulation in different neurological and psychiatric disorders. Historically, ablation and stimulation of the intralaminar thalamus have been explored in patients with pain, epilepsy, and Tourette syndrome. Moreover, deep brain stimulation has been used as an experimental treatment for disorders of consciousness and a variety of movement disorders. In this review, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the underlying mechanisms of stimulation and ablation of the intralaminar nuclei, historical clinical evidence, and more recent (experimental) studies in animals and humans to define the present and future role of the intralaminar thalamus as a target in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Objective One of the steps of the Surgical Safety Checklist is for the team members to introduce themselves. The objective of this study was to implement a tool to help remember and use each other’s names and roles in the operating theatre. Methods This study was part of a pilot study in which a video and medical data recorder was implemented in one operating theatre and used as a tool for postoperative multidisciplinary debriefings. During these debriefings, name recall was evaluated. Following the implementation of the medical data recorder, this study was started by introducing the theatre cap challenge, meaning the use of name (including role) stickers on the surgical cap in the operating theatre. Findings In total, 41% (n = 40 out of 98) of the operating theatre members were able to recall all the names of their team at the team briefings. On average 44.8% (n = 103) was wearing the name sticker. Conclusions The time-out stage of the Surgical Safety Checklist might be inadequate for correctly remembering and using your operating theatre team members’ names. For this, the theatre cap challenge may help.