Science

Missing Organ Report

54 Comments

Doctors in China have discovered that a 24 year old woman who, as a child, had been slow to develop in key areas like walking and speech, has lived her entire life missing a key part of her brain.

X-rays show the woman has nothing but spinal fluid where her cerebellum should be. This is a problem since the cerebellum makes up 10% of the brain’s overall volume and contains more than 50% of its neurons.

The amazing thing about this woman is that the rest of her brain somehow managed to adapt, taking on responsibility for crucial functions normally controlled by the missing cerebellum. She learned to walk and speak and even became a mother in spite of the formidable challenges she faced with balance, movement and cognition.

And until recently, no one knew why she was having problems, or what an amazing story her life tells us about human resilience and adaptability.

Imagine how she must have felt to receive this stunning news!

I can only guess that it was a relief to finally have a biological explanation for all the difficulty she has faced.

Doctors have just informed you that part of your brain is missing. Which responsibilities are usually covered by the absent area?

54 thoughts on “Missing Organ Report”

  6. Morning all. This is an easy one… directions. I am seriously directionally challenged and it makes me feel much better that I can blame it on a missing brain part. I have discovered that even with the GPS that Teenager gave me for my birthday, I’m still not fool proof!

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    2. VS, I wasn’t a regular watcher of The Office when it was running, but I remember one episode when Michael got a GPS and was driving somewhere with Dwight. The GPS told him to turn right, Dwight told him it meant to turn right up ahead a little ways, but Michael insisted that it meant to turn right immediately. So he turned right – and here’s a link to show you what happened.

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  7. I’ll be off-trail most of today…errands and chores galores, getting ready for my sibling’s arrival on Monday. I’ll check in later… have fun everybody.

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    1. Some people might want to know about any blank spots found in their brains. Perhaps it would be best if you didn’t know about any empty spaces that might be found in your brain, tim.

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  9. The ability to do math in my head, patience, drawing.

    It amazes me that the young woman is as functional as she us. The brain compensates in amazing ways. I know OB nurses who have suspected anencephaly (the absence of major parts of the brain) in babies they helped deliver. They confirmed their suspicions by taking the babies into a dark closet and shining a flashlight on the head. If major parts of the brain are missing, the light shines through from one side of the head to the other, since much of what is there is fluid.

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    3. I read that she is amazingly functional considering but.. she slurs, has other noticeable issues but once you find out the reason all is turned from wondering what’s wrong to being amazed at what is right.

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  10. Good morning. I might be missing the part of my brain that deals with learning to spell correctly. It seems I have an inherent inability to be good at spelling. Perhaps the part of my brain that deals with learning to spell is empty.

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  11. – the part that, after taking in tons of information on, say, healthy eating, continues to want cookies, onion rings, and chocolate more than anything else.
    – the part that tells you to mind your own business and not take on other people’s troubles.
    – the part that apparently organize can other people’s things just fine, but is totally blind to the stuff that needs organizing at home.
    – the part that can re-iterate what you’ve just ‘read.
    I’m sure there are others…

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  12. Rise and Reason Baboons!

    Like VS, I am missing any sense of physical direction or sense of Left/Right/NOrth/South/East/West. I am not sure what that part of the brain is, but it is the part that provides the sense of proprioception.

    Gone.

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  13. My dad’ s sese of humor is still intact. He made me promise today that I would include his signed photo of Hilliary Clinton in the slide show at his funeral just to annoy his Republican friends. He has some trouble with word finding due to his cardiac arrest two years ago, but the rest of the little grey cells seems to be working pretty well.

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  14. The part of my brain that is missing is that lobe where men usually scheme to assert themselves and win contests, especially with other men. That part of me just isn’t there. I don’t like pushing to the front of the line, claiming the big prize and defeating other folks. The only kind of game I like is the kind where there are no losers or winners, just folks having fun.

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  15. OT – I was just looking at the currently available flavors at Izzy’s Ice Cream, Minneapolis and saw this:

    Jell-O Salad
    A key lime flavored ice cream with marshmallow and cranberries mixed in.

    Remind you of any songs from TLGMS?

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  16. I am certain that my brain is quite perfect as it is.

    Unless there is some part of the brain that is devoted to accurate self-awareness. There could be something wrong with that part.

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    2. I think your self awareness is pretty accurate it your ability to pat yourself on the back that’s lacking.
      Have you found he perfect quote to wrap this one up tomorrow night at 11 o’clock yet? You are best in the world at that

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  17. I am most definitely missing that part of the brain that retains names of people I know or have met. If I run into any of you outside of a Baboon gathering, please know that if I don’t call you by name, it’s not for lack of trying – the hamsters that run that portion of the card catalog in my head seem to chew on the cards at random and then mis-file them.

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      1. Thanks… probably not so much dread. Just not excitement… this one is VERY sensitive and our lives are very different, so I do a little egg-shell walking when I’m with her.

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