Una aproximación al momento de la decisión estratégica organizacional en el desarrollo de nuevos productos

Purpose: To explain the strategic decision-moment behaviour from an organizational approach, particularly from the cross-functional integration in new product development processing. Design: The methodology is focused on agent-based simulation, particularly using NetLogo software. Virtual experiments were developed to identify the effect of the agents interactions with each other and with the environment. Results: The presence of prior information and the disposition of the interaction meetings among departments in the cross-functional integration processes have a decreasing impact on the number of steps required to reach an agreement, but the number of necessary decisional interactions is not affected. Limitations: The comprehension of the decision-moment that is made within this research process is focused on the organizational approach to the development of new products. It is interesting to contrast the results with other organizational approaches and with studies on real cases. Originality: Application of agentbased simulation on the functional understanding of the strategic decision-moment in the organizational context.Propósito: Explicar el comportamiento del momento de la decisión estratégica desde un enfoque organizacional, en particular desde la integración interfuncional presente en el proceso de desarrollo de nuevos productos. Diseño: La metodología se centra en la simulación basada en agentes, particularmente utilizando el software NetLogo. Se desarrollaron experimentos virtuales para identificar el efecto de las interacciones de los agentes entre sí y con el entorno. Resultados: La presencia de información previa y la disposición de las reuniones de interacción entre departamentos en los procesos de integración interfuncional tienen un impacto decreciente en el número de pasos necesarios para llegar a un acuerdo, pero la cantidad de interacciones decisionales necesarias no se ve afectada. Limitaciones: La comprensión del momento de la decisión que se realiza dentro de este proceso de investigación se concentra en el enfoque organizativo del desarrollo de nuevos productos. Es interesante contrastar los resultados con otros enfoques organizativos y con estudios sobre casos reales. Originalidad: Aplicación de la simulación basada en agentes sobre la comprensión funcional del momento de la decisión estratégica en el contexto organizaciona

An approach to the organizational strategic decision-moment in new product development

Purpose: To explain the strategic decision-moment behaviour from an organizational approach, particularly from the cross-functional integration in new product development processing. Design: The methodology is focused on agent-based simulation, particularly using NetLogo software. Virtual experiments were developed to identify the effect of the agents interactions with each other and with the environment. Results: The presence of prior information and the disposition of the interaction meetings among departments in the cross-functional integration processes have a decreasing impact on the number of steps required to reach an agreement, but the number of necessary decisional interactions is not affected. Limitations: The comprehension of the decision-moment that is made within this research process is focused on the organizational approach to the development of new products. It is interesting to contrast the results with other organizational approaches and with studies on real cases. Originality: Application of agentbased simulation on the functional understanding of the strategic decision-moment in the organizational context.

The timing of exploratory decision-making revealed by single-trial topographic EEGanalyses.

Decision-making in an uncertain environment is driven by two major needs: exploring the environment to gather information or exploiting acquired knowledge to maximize reward. The neural processes underlying exploratory decision-making have been mainly studied by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging, overlooking any information about the time when decisions are made. Here, we carried out an electroencephalography (EEG) experiment, in order to detect the time when the brain generators responsible for these decisions have been sufficiently activated to lead to the next decision. Our analyses, based on a classification scheme, extract time-unlocked voltage topographies during reward presentation and use them to predict the type of decisions made on the subsequent trial. Classification accuracy, measured as the area under the Receiver Operator's Characteristic curve was on average 0.65 across 7 subjects. Classification accuracy was above chance levels already after 516 ms on average, across subjects. We speculate that decisions were already made before this critical period, as confirmed by a positive correlation with reaction times across subjects. On an individual subject basis, distributed source estimations were performed on the extracted topographies to statistically evaluate the neural correlates of decision-making. For trials leading to exploration, there was significantly higher activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the right supramarginal gyrus; areas responsible for modulating behavior under risk and deduction. No area was more active during exploitation. We show for the first time the temporal evolution of differential patterns of brain activation in an exploratory decision-making task on a single-trial basis

Neurotechnology for Brain Repair:Imaging, Enhancing and Restoring Human Motor Function

Neurotechnology is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical purpose of understanding, interacting and/or repairing the brain or, in a broader sense, the nervous system. The development of novel approaches to decode functional information from the brain, to enhance specific properties of neural tissue and to restore motor output in real end-users is a fundamental challenge to translate these novel solutions into clinical practice. In this Thesis, I introduce i) a novel imaging method to characterize movement-related electroencephalographic (EEG) potentials; ii) a brain stimulation strategy to improve brain-computer interface (BCI) control; iii) and a therapy for motor recovery involving a neuroprosthesis. Overall, results show i) that stable EEG topographies present a subject-independent organization that can be used to robustly decode actual or attempted movements in sub-acute stroke patients and healthy controls, with minimal a-priori information; ii) that transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) enhances the modulability of sensorimotor rhythms used for brain-computer interaction in chronic Spinal Cord Injured (SCI) individuals and healthy controls; iii) that neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) controlled via closed-loop neural activity induces significantly stronger upper limb functional recovery in chronic stroke patients than sham NMES therapy, and that these changes are clinically relevant. These results have or might have important implications in i) disease diagnostics and monitoring through EEG; ii) assistive technology and reduction of permanent disability following SCI; iii) rehabilitation and recovery of upper limb function following a stroke, also after several years of complete paralysis. Briefly, this Thesis provides the conceptual framework, scientific rationale, technical details and clinical evidence supporting translational Neurotechnology that improves, optimizes and disrupts current medical practice in monitoring, substituting and recovering lost upper limb function

Structural and functional brain alterations in fibromyalgia syndrome patients

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a widespread chronic pain disorder affecting 2−5% of the general population and particularly women of middle age (McBeth and Mulvey, 2012). The syndrome is frequently comorbid with a variety of clinical, functional and psychological disorders (Weir et al., 2006) and associated with a large socio-economic burden (Lachaine et al., 2010). In spite of significant previous research, the underlying aetiology and pathophysiology of FMS is not fully understood (Schmidt-Wilcke and Clauw, 2011). However, aberrant structural and functional brain alterations have been proposed as a casual or maintaining factor of the disorder (Schweinhardt et al., 2008). This thesis utilised functional and structural imaging methods and novel experimental paradigms to explore brain alterations in FMS patients. A comprehensive review of previous experimental findings was performed to identify novel research questions. EEG and MRI data for 5 unique studies was collected over two sessions. In the first study dynamic mechanical stimulation was applied to the forearm of FMS patients and healthy participants, and an ERD analysis of corresponding EEG data was performed. The results revealed that FMS patients exhibited alterations to cortical excitability during brushing stimuli which correlated with clinical measures. These findings indicate that abnormal processing of innocuous somatosensory stimulation may contribute to the pathophysiology and clinical symptom severity of FMS. Secondly, an ERP analysis of EEG data from the observation of pain and non-pain pictures was performed. FMS patients exhibited differences in ERP components and source activation patterns during observation of pain pictures relative to healthy people. Alterations to processing of observed pain occurred in parahippocampal gyrus and may relate to clinical and psychological aspects of FMS, this finding could be utilised to further understand the heterogeneity of psychological profiles of FMS patients in order to better target therapeutic interventions. The third study of the thesis describes a novel comparison of functional connectivity with resting-state network structures utilising fMRI recordings. Functional connectivity with default mode network structures was shown to be altered in FMS. This finding may reflect an ongoing time-dependent reorganisation of resting-state networks due to ongoing chronic pain. In the fourth study, a morphological analysis of subcortical structures was performed using high-resolution T1-weighted MR images. FMS patients demonstrated alterations to the morphology of the brainstem, an important structure in descending nociceptive control. Volumetric alterations in this structure correlated with clinical measures of symptom severity suggesting an important role for brainstem alterations in FMS pain symptoms. In the final study the microstructural integrity of white matter was compared between FMS patients and healthy participants. Although no significant differences were identified the findings indicate that FMS is not likely to be related to abnormal development of white matter tracts. Therefore structural alterations associated with FMS are likely to occur only in the grey matter