Girl has half of her brain removed

[EccentricM]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-39117532/i-only-have-half-a-brain

 

She had half the brain removed and still lives a functional life. Some difficulties, but she's overall well.

 

I think it's Amazing what the brain is capable of. We deal with so much and can adapt so well. She seems very much still cognitive, we can now officially say the saying; "anyone with half a brain would still know x" as actually factual .

 

It also confirms the idea of the "right brain-left brain" = emotion vs logic is a myth. What I am interested in however is how she can still use all of her body, since right hemisphere controls the muscles on the left side of the body and vice versa... is that proven wrong now too? Her movements are somewhat impaired I notice, but not 100%. If the one side of the brain was really responsible for muscle control of one half of the body, then she should have one side completely limp and non-functional.

[Adelin]

It is known that when a part of the brain becomes unusable, other parts will assume its functions - neuroplasticity. But I think this will take some time.

[Qapla]

3 hours ago, Adelin said:

I think this will take some time.

 

It probably did take some time. She was three when she had the surgery and she is grown and married now (I think they said she is 25) There was no mention about how long it took for her to reclaim her motor activity - but, they did say they think her brain may have started to "rewire" itself even before the operation.

 

Still, it goes to show how well Jehovah made us that such a thing is even possible.

[kejedo]

Hemispherectomies are more effective within a specific age span. They usually leave one side weaker, as I understand it. https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/surgery/types-surgeries/hemispherectomy

[Sophy]

This is really amazing. Half of the brain removed? And can still function to some extent? Wow. We all learn new things  everyday.