>The thalamus would be involved to some degree in virtually every
>cognitive activity.
I do not believe so.
>In a different direction, the microcephaly you describe suggests
>damage extending beyond the thalamus. The thalamus is a relatively
>small structure, and damage to it alone ought not to noticeably
>decrease the size of the brain. It may be, though, that damage to the
>thalamus has induced changes in the neocortex. We know that the sort
>of experiences an animal (or presumably human) has, determines the
>thickness of the neocortex.
Guess the sequencer is sort of using areas of the neocortex, and
amount of use and form of used can alter hardware.