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Opinion: What happens when a chief executive loses executive functions?

Circa 1970, the renowned Russian neuropsychologist Alexander Luria together with Karl Pribram from Stanford University and other neuroscientists of that era introduced the term “executive functions” into the scientific lexicon to denote complex behaviors such as attention and awareness. They identified the frontal lobe — the front of the brain — as the “executive of the brain” responsible for these behaviors based on their experiments with primates and patients with specific brain injuries.

Over time, the concept evolved to include mental processes needed to focus, concentrate, and pay attention when challenged by multiple simultaneous sources of information to weigh options and make informed decisions as opposed to impulsive ones.

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Cibisatamab and FAP-4-1BBL in microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer: a phase 1b trial

Nature Medicine, Published online: 20 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04380-z

As presented at the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting: in a phase 1b trial, patients with microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer received a FAP-4-1BB ligand together with the CEA-directed T cell engager cibisatamab; the treatment was safe, and biomarker analysis showed induction of immunity in line with the biological rationale.

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[Comment] The unattributable burden of disease

Non-communicable diseases remain the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide and account for most health loss in high-income countries, including Italy.1 Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases are largely driven by modifiable behavioural, metabolic, and environmental exposures.2 Characterising the distribution of these risk factors and quantifying their contribution to population health is central to modern epidemiology and public health.

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[Comment] Can multimorbidity research progress from description to intervention?

The concept of multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of two or more long-term conditions, has become an important focus for research in the burden of ill-health associated with ageing. A burgeoning literature shows that the prevalence of multimorbidity is substantial, even though estimates vary according to definition and method of ascertainment.1 Not many studies have taken a longitudinal approach and evaluated the incidence of multimorbidity. In The Lancet Public Health, Eirion Slade and colleagues2 report on the incidence of multiple long-term conditions, also known as multimorbidity, in an electronic health records dataset for nearly the whole of England, UK.

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[Editorial] An opportunity to confront multimorbidity

The notion of compression of morbidity was the guiding principle of public health a generation ago. If one could postpone the onset of chronic disease and disability to a later age, the total lifetime burden of illness could be reduced, compressing it into a shorter period at the end of life. The goal was to increase not only lifespans, but also healthspans. Public health systems are designed to enable individuals to live long, healthy lives, before experiencing a brief, sudden decline in their final months.

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[Comment] The potential of online alcohol interventions for older adults

The adverse effects of high levels of alcohol consumption on cognitive function have been documented, including using Mendelian randomisation.1 Maintaining cognitive function is a priority for individuals as they age. However, the increasing size and health needs of the ageing population globally brings challenges for provision of preventive and therapeutic interventions.

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[Comment] Achieving equity requires investment in vulnerable populations

It is well known that both mental health conditions (MHCs)1 and low income2 increase the risk for communicable and non-communicable diseases. However, previous studies have not comprehensively investigated potential interactions in the effects of mental disorders and income on physical health. In their Article, Linda Ejlskov and colleagues assessed the risks of a broad range of physical health conditions (PHCs) across income strata in people with and without MHCs.3 According to their results, MHCs and low income seem to operate as independent, additive risk factors, with some notable exceptions.