Post created by Calysta
Do you ever wonder what the occipital lobe of a blind person does? Since the occipital lobe is specifically for vision, what happens? Does it simply…exist? Or does it atrophy just as muscle atrophies when it is not used? An article on New Scientist about a woman born without a left hemisphere—a condition called hemi-hydranencephaly—shows that the brain has more adaptable capacity than expected and if not in use, can actually be “repurposed.”
Using our reasoning, it would be logical to conclude that our young woman would be unable to think logically, memorize, speak or read. Although this young woman does struggle from speech impairment, she demonstrates a reading ability that is above average. How can this be if she is lacking the part of her brain that specializes in this ability?
The brain is a team player
As it turns out, this young individual’s right hemisphere compensated for the absence of the left. They found that her right hemisphere is “unusually dense in white matter.” Gray matter is made up of neurons and cell bodies, whereas white matter are the myelinated axons or “super-highways” where electrical impulses travel. Usually, the cerebral cortex—made up of both the right and left hemispheres—is mostly gray matter. This patient’s right hemisphere was mostly white, wiring the brain region for communication. Her right brain adapted to make up and take over the functions of her left brain.
Use it or lose it…not when it comes to the brain
This case shows the brain’s amazing ability to adapt and use the parts unneeded for something else. When a person is blind, for instance, it has been found that the occipital region, normally reserved for vision processing, is repurposed for language processing or for math. Even though we are born with a set number of neurons—we can never grow more--those neurons have the mind-blowing ability to adapt to supply the needs of the individual the best it can.
Follow the yellow-brick road Go ahead, scarecrow, go to Oz for a brain—you may only need half of one! While there are some parts of the brain absolutely need to sustain life:
·the brain stem which contains the automatic functions for survival and carries the axons that connect the body to the brain and
·the diencephalon that controls the homeostatic functions like heartbeat,
it is possible to live without parts of the cerebral cortex, as seen in this young lady. Although the article does not mention whether or not this lady can walk or move her right side, it does say that she has plans to attend a university.
Finding more “proof of the organ’s superpowers”
Our brain is complex as is—it is the reason we have memories, personalities, coordinate, skills, and so on. However, the human brain continues to prove that it is more complicated than anything we know. From the regions, cranial nerves, and influences we have learned about, researchers spend a lifetime striving to attain the highest understanding of the brain.
References
“A Woman with Half a Brain Offers More Proof of the Organ's Superpowers.” New Scientist, 12 Feb. 2020, www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532693-300-a-woman-with-half-a-brain-offers-more-proof-of-the-organs-superpowers/.
Comments