The brain stem reticular formation

There can be no question that the brain stem reticular formation no longer exercises the same fascination for neurologists that it did a quarter of a century ago. And there can be only little doubt that interest has ebbed partly because of the central importance claimed for it in explaining a multitude of neurological phenomena: the reticular formation was well on the way to becoming the seat of the soul and a good deal else besides. The recent, if restricted, revival of interest has so far either ignored the daunting accumulation of information — second only to that of the ‘limbic system’ in its exasperating obscurantism and self-contradiction — or acknowledged it with varying degrees of criticism.