Hemispherectomy : National Geographic Explorer - Dylan - Pediatric Stroke

[datzfast]

i dont under stand why the damaged half need to be removed.

[phattieg]

@datzfast Well, just like anything that you disconnect blood flow from, it will die, and cause infections. Also, seizures are caused by mixed signals generated in the brain. They interfere with normal brain function, and cause the neurons to rapidly fire, which is what makes the body seize up (convulsions can occur too sometimes). Removing the part of the brain responsible removes the problem.

[kingcrimson234]

he plays football? i dunno if that's a good idea. when half the brain is taken out, doesn't that make the remaining part much more susceptible to damage from impacts? i would think it has much more freedom of movement in the skull, which should make impacts so much more damaging.

[phattieg]

@kingcrimson234 Cerebral spinal fluid acts as a cushion for the brain when it comes to shock. The part of the brain that is removed fills with fluid, and that protects it just as well as if the whole brain was there.

[karkrashful]

@kingcrimson234 phattieg is right. the fluid works based on pascal's principle, the pressure the remaining half of the brain exerts on the fluid transfers the force and spreads it to everywhere else the fluid is in contact with, which is the far side of the skull. the brake system in ur car also works on this principle

[kcjones78]

I am amazed on a daily basis at the wide range of abilities (dis) and what some kids to to compensate for the inabilities. Like I said before I know the day his brain rerouted itself around tha damaged parts (quadrant C4) he was about three months old and for the first three months there was nothing that his left side did-it was 'dead' mobility wise. But my love goes out to these little fighters!

[ConstantC4]

so like the ten percent myth surfaces again ... it seems noticeable advances in intelligence are logarithmic to processing or the brain produces loasuhadsfksjfhweuirrrrrrrrrrr­rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr­rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr­rrrrrrrrrr

[kcjones78]

Thank you for posting this video. I am the mother of a stroke survivor also-he did not go through anything as wild as this Dylan is such a miracle! Congrats kid!!

[mayganey]

@kcjones78 you should consider reading the report (book) called The brain that changes itself by Dr. Norman Doidge, if you haven't already. it might help you with new insights to the plasticity of the brain and that even a stroke cannot prevent the development of any part of the brain or any brain activity.