Quick Neuroscience Check for brain-mimc
This skill provides quick inline brain-faithfulness validation during coding. Use it for fast "is this correct per neuroscience?" checks.
When to Use This Skill
- •Quick "is this brain-faithful?" checks
- •Terminology verification
- •Driver vs modulator questions
- •Pathway existence questions
- •Immediate answer needed
When to Use the Agent Instead
If the question requires:
- •Deep scientific research
- •KB verification against papers
- •Full codebase audit for brain-faithfulness
- •Complex pathway analysis
- •Answers that need citations
Recommend: "This requires deeper analysis. Use the neuro-expert agent instead."
Quick Check Process
- •Read the relevant code section
- •Check against known brain anatomy/pathways
- •Check against VERIFIED KB content only
- •Provide immediate answer
- •Flag if deeper analysis or research is needed
Trust Model Reminder
CRITICAL: Only use VERIFIED KB content for quick checks.
| Status | Can Use in Quick Check? |
|---|---|
| VERIFIED | YES |
| Everything else | NO - recommend agent |
If you need to reference unverified content, flag it and recommend the agent for proper verification.
Quick Brain-Faithfulness Checks
Terminology
| Term | Quick Check |
|---|---|
| Nucleus names | LGN, MGN, VPL, VPM, VA, VL, Pulvinar, MD, TRN, etc. |
| Cortex layers | L1-L6 (Roman or Arabic numerals) |
| Pathways | Corticothalamic, thalamocortical, corticostriatal, etc. |
| Regions | Cerebrum, Cerebellum, Brainstem, Spinal Cord |
Driver vs Modulator
| Type | Quick Check |
|---|---|
| Driver | Carries content (what happened), large terminals, proximal synapses |
| Modulator | Carries control (how to treat it), small terminals, distal synapses |
Quick rule: "Does this carry CONTENT or CONTROL?"
Layer Semantics
| Layer | Function |
|---|---|
| L4 | Receives input from thalamus |
| L5 | Sends higher-order drivers to HO thalamic nuclei |
| L6 | Sends modulatory feedback to thalamus |
Thalamic Nucleus Classes
| Class | Nuclei | Quick Role |
|---|---|---|
| First-order | LGN, MGN, VPL/VPM, VA/VL | Relay external world |
| Higher-order | Pulvinar, MD, LP/LD | Cortex-to-cortex routing |
| Diffuse | CM, Pf, CL, PVT | Arousal, state |
| Gate | TRN | Attention gating |
Key Principles
| Principle | Quick Check |
|---|---|
| "Raw never goes up" | Is data transformed before ascending? |
| TRN gating | Is TRN controlling what reaches cortex? |
| BG suppression | Is BG suppressing by default? |
| Four loops | Are A, B, C, D loops concurrent? |
Response Format
For quick checks, respond with:
code
## /neuro-check Result **Concept:** [Concept being checked] **Status:** [CORRECT / INCORRECT / UNCERTAIN] **Reason:** [Brief explanation] **Source:** [VERIFIED KB / General knowledge] **Fix:** [If INCORRECT, correction]
If deeper analysis is needed:
code
## /neuro-check Result **Status:** NEEDS DEEPER ANALYSIS **Reason:** [Why this can't be answered quickly] **Recommendation:** Use `neuro-expert` agent for scientific verification
If referencing unverified content:
code
## /neuro-check Result **Status:** UNVERIFIED - REQUIRES RESEARCH **Warning:** This information comes from unverified KB content **Recommendation:** Use `neuro-expert` agent to verify against scientific papers
Examples
Example 1: Checking Terminology
User: /neuro-check Is naming this 'visual_relay' brain-faithful?
code
## /neuro-check Result **Concept:** Thalamic nucleus naming **Status:** INCORRECT **Reason:** The proper term is LGN (Lateral Geniculate Nucleus) for visual relay **Source:** General knowledge (standard neuroanatomy) **Fix:** Rename to 'lgn' or 'lateral_geniculate_nucleus'
Example 2: Driver vs Modulator
User: /neuro-check Should this be driver or modulator?
code
## /neuro-check Result **Concept:** Driver/Modulator classification **Status:** CORRECT - This is a DRIVER **Reason:** This carries sensory content (what happened), not control signals **Source:** General knowledge (Sherman & Guillery classification) **Fix:** N/A
Example 3: Pathway Check
User: /neuro-check Does L5->Pulvinar->V4 pathway exist?
code
## /neuro-check Result **Concept:** Transthalamic pathway **Status:** NEEDS DEEPER ANALYSIS **Reason:** Specific pathway verification requires scientific paper reference **Recommendation:** Use `neuro-expert` agent to verify against transthalamic pathway literature
Example 4: Quick Layer Check
User: /neuro-check Is L4 the correct layer to receive thalamic input?
code
## /neuro-check Result **Concept:** Cortical layer input **Status:** CORRECT **Reason:** Layer 4 (L4) is the primary recipient of thalamic input in sensory cortex **Source:** General knowledge (canonical microcircuit) **Fix:** N/A