Editing Planning (section)

==Neurology==
[[File:Schizophrenia PET scan.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[striatum]]; part of the [[basal ganglia]]; neural pathways between the striatum and the [[frontal lobe]] have been implicated in planning function.]]
Planning is one of the [[executive functions]] of the brain, encompassing the [[neurological]] processes involved in the formulation, evaluation and selection of a sequence of thoughts and actions to achieve a desired goal. Various studies utilizing a combination of [[neuropsychological]], [[Neuropharmacology|neuropharmacological]] and [[functional neuroimaging]] approaches have suggested there is a positive relationship between impaired planning ability and damage to the [[frontal lobe]].

A specific area within the mid-dorsolateral frontal cortex located in the frontal lobe has been implicated as playing an intrinsic role in both [[cognitive planning]] and associated executive traits such as [[working memory]].

Disruption of the [[neural pathway]]s, via various mechanisms such as [[traumatic brain injury]], or the effects of [[neurodegenerative disease]]s between this area of the frontal cortex and the [[basal ganglia]], specifically the [[striatum]] (corticostriatal pathway), may disrupt the processes required for normal planning function.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Owen | first1 = AM | date = Nov 1997 | title = Cognitive planning in humans: neuropsychological, neuroanatomical and neuropharmacological perspectives | journal = Prog Neurobiol | volume = 53 | issue = 4| pages = 431–50 | pmid = 9421831 | doi=10.1016/s0301-0082(97)00042-7| s2cid = 69523 }}</ref>

Individuals who were born very low birth weight (<1500&nbsp;grams) and extremely low birth weight are at greater risk for various cognitive deficits including planning ability.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Harvey | first1 = JM | last2 = O'Callaghan | first2 = MJ | last3 = Mohay | first3 = H | date = May 1999 | title = Executive function of children with extremely low birthweight: a case control study | journal = Dev Med Child Neurol | volume = 41 | issue = 5| pages = 292–7 | pmid = 10378753 | doi=10.1017/s0012162299000663}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Aarnoudse-Moens | first1 = CS | last2 = Weisglas-Kuperus | first2 = N | last3 = van Goudoever | first3 = JB | last4 = Oosterlaan | first4 = J | date = Aug 2009 | title = Meta-analysis of neurobehavioral outcomes in very preterm and/or very low birth weight children | url = https://research.vu.nl/ws/files/2540704/Aarnoudse-Moens%20Pediatrics%20124(2)%202009%20u.pdf| journal = Pediatrics | volume = 124 | issue = 2| pages = 717–28 | pmid = 19651588 | doi=10.1542/peds.2008-2816| s2cid = 18012434 }}</ref>

The other region activated in planning process is [[default mode network]] which contributes to activity of remembering the past and imagine the future.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Buckner |first=Randy L. |date=2013-09-30 |title=The brain's default network: origins and implications for the study of psychosis |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.31887/dcns.2013.15.3/rbuckner |journal=Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=351–358 |doi=10.31887/dcns.2013.15.3/rbuckner |pmid=24174906 |issn=1958-5969|pmc=3811106 }}</ref> This network distributed set of regions that involve association cortex and paralimbic region but spare sensory and motor cortex this is make possible planning process disruption by active task that uses sensory and motoric regions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lejko |first1=Nena |last2=Tumati |first2=Shankar |last3=Opmeer |first3=Esther M. |last4=Marsman |first4=Jan-Bernard C. |last5=Reesink |first5=Fransje E. |last6=De Deyn |first6=Peter P. |last7=Aleman |first7=André |last8=Ćurčić-Blake |first8=Branislava |date=March 2022 |title=Planning in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: an fMRI study |journal=Experimental Gerontology |volume=159 |pages=111673 |doi=10.1016/j.exger.2021.111673 |pmid=34958871 |issn=0531-5565|doi-access=free |url=https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/207619571/Planning_in_amnestic_mild_cognitive_impairment_an_fMRI_study.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shulman |first1=Gordon L. |last2=Fiez |first2=Julie A. |last3=Corbetta |first3=Maurizio |last4=Buckner |first4=Randy L. |last5=Miezin |first5=Francis M. |last6=Raichle |first6=Marcus E. |last7=Petersen |first7=Steven E. |date=1997 |title=Common Blood Flow Changes across Visual Tasks: II. Decreases in Cerebral Cortex |url=https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/1/33896770/2/Buckner_CommonBloodII.pdf |journal=Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=648–663 |doi=10.1162/jocn.1997.9.5.648 |pmid=23965122 |s2cid=25599950 |issn=0898-929X}}</ref>

===Neuropsychological tests===
[[File:Tower of Hanoi 4.gif|thumb|right|Animation of a four disc version of the [[Tower of Hanoi]]|alt=A version of the Tower of Hanoi utilizing four discs.]]
There are a variety of neuropsychological tests which can be used to measure variance of planning ability between the subject and controls.

* [[Tower of Hanoi]], a puzzle invented in 1883 by the French mathematician [[Édouard Lucas]]. There are different variations of the puzzle: the classic version consists of three rods and usually seven to nine discs of subsequently smaller size. Planning is a key component of the problem-solving skills necessary to achieve the objective, which is to move the entire stack to another rod, obeying the following rules:
** Only one disk may be moved at a time.
** Each move consists of taking the upper disk from one of the rods and sliding it onto another rod, on top of the other disks that may already be present on that rod.
** No disk may be placed on top of a smaller disk.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Welsh | first1 = MC | last2 = Huizinga | first2 = M | date = Jun 2001 | title = The development and preliminary validation of the Tower of Hanoi-revised | url = https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/1280702/104593_2001.welsh.huizinga.pdf| journal = Assessment | volume = 8 | issue = 2| pages = 167–76 | pmid = 11428696 | doi=10.1177/107319110100800205| s2cid = 27931772 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Anderson | first1 = JR | last2 = Albert | first2 = MV | last3 = Fincham | first3 = JM | date = Aug 2005 | title = Tracing problem solving in real time: fMRI analysis of the subject-paced Tower of Hanoi | journal = J Cogn Neurosci | volume = 17 | issue = 8| pages = 1261–74 | doi = 10.1162/0898929055002427 | pmid = 16197682 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.139.8424 | s2cid = 7567982 }}</ref>
[[File:PEBLTowerOfLondon.png|thumb|Screenshot of the [[PEBL (software)|PEBL]] psychology software running the Tower of London test]]

* [[Tower of London test|Tower of London]] is another test that was developed in 1992 by [[Tim Shallice]] specifically to detect deficits in planning as may occur with damage to the frontal lobe. Test participants with damage to the left anterior frontal lobe demonstrated planning deficits (i.e., greater number of moves required for solution).

Test participants with damage to the right anterior, and left or right posterior areas of the frontal lobes, showed no impairment. The results implicating the left anterior frontal lobes involvement in solving the Tower of London were supported in concomitant neuroimaging studies which also showed a reduction in regional [[cerebral blood flow]] to the left pre-frontal lobe. For the number of moves, a significant negative correlation was observed for the left prefrontal area: [[i.e.]] subjects that took more time planning their moves showed greater activation in the left prefrontal area.<ref>{{Cite journal
| doi = 10.1098/rstb.1982.0082
| pages = 199–209
| last = Shallice
| issue = 1089
| first = T.
| volume = 298
| title = Specific impairments of planning
| journal = Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
| year = 1982
| pmid = 6125971
| bibcode = 1982RSPTB.298..199S
| doi-access = 
}}</ref>