Friday, January 8, 2010

Split-brain

Definition
Split-brain is when the two hemispheres of the brain (left & right) are not connected. This is often due to surgery in which the corpus callosum is severed to avoid the spread of epileptic seizures.


(Video: YouTube)
Commentary
One might think that severing all of the connections between the two hemispheres would lead to significant impairment of functioning, yet the two halves continue to communicate-- just outside of the body (e.g., writing, talking, pointing).

There have been cases, however, in which patients behave as though they have two personalities:
Case 1...would sometimes find himself pulling his pants down with one hand and pulling them up with the other. Once, he grabbed his wife with his left hand and shook her violently, with the right hand trying to come to his wife's aid in bringing the left belligerent hand under control. Once, while I was playing horseshoes with the patient in his backyard, he happened to pick up an ax with his left hand. Because it was entirely likely that the more aggressive right hemisphere might be in control, I discretely left the scene-not wanting to be the victim for the test case of which half-brain does society punish or execute. (Gazzaniga 1970, p.107)
I wouldn't want to be the test case either.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Michael Gazzaniga, who is a pioneer in research of split-brain patients, and who is also credited with being the "father" of cognitive neuroscience, will be the Keynote speaker at a conference to be held in March at the College of the Holy Cross. The theme of the conference will explore the contributions of neuroscience and evolutionary biology on epistomological notions of self, free-will, ethics, and morality. More details to follow...

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