Some of you have asked for more specifics regarding the activity where students are given various neurological symptoms and then are asked to identify and locate the area of the brain that is most likely involved. I will provide more detail but it could be improved upon, as I certainly plan on doing. ___________________________________________________________________ Each item provides an image of the left cerebral hemisphere, right cerebral hemisphere and cross-sectional perspective of the brain. As is made clear, they will use the cross-sectional image if a sub-cortical nerve center or the left or right hemisphere if as area of the cerebral cortex is relevant.
1. Julia had a brain infection and a high fever at age 2. By age 10 she began having spells of terrible fright, sometimes accompanied by aggression. Locate her brain lesion on one of the following diagrams: (locate amygdala on cross-sectional diagram) 2. John received a head injury in an automobile accident several months ago. For a while he had a great deal of motor paralysis on the left side of his body, but most of this paralysis has abated. He now only experiences a mild paralysis of his left hand. Show the probably location of the damage causing this paralysis (motor cortex in right hemisphere). 3. An astronaut reported seeing mysterious flashes of light during one of the shuttle missions. The visual display results from high energy particles penetrating through this portion of his brain (occipital lobe of either of the cerebral hemispheres). 4. After an apparent overdose of drugs and alcohol, Karen Quinlan stopped breathing for several minutes, incurring extensive brain damage. She recovered her ability to breath but remained in a very prolonged and deep coma, remaining in a fetal position with no response to outside stimuli for over 11 years. What part of her brain was damaged that prevented her from regaining consciousness? (Pons in brain stem) 5. Mary has epileptic seizures that involve the sensation of something touching her right leg. This information gives the neurologist (and you!) a clue as to the area of her brain that is experiencing spontaneous seizures. Where is her epileptic activity likely to be occurring? (parietal lobe in the left cerebral hemisphere) 6. Harry is a 53 year old man who suffered a stroke that left him with the inability to speak. He can still understand others when they are talking with him but cannot produce any words, regardless of how much he tries. The stroke cut blood supply and therefore damaged what area of his brain? (Broca's area in his left hemisphere) 7. Henry had a rare and sever form of epilepsy that could not be controlled by sedatives. Therefore, his neurologist decided to perform surgery that effectively stopped his seizures without interfering with his functioning. However, when in a laboratory setting, he is unable to name common objects that are placed in his left hand, hidden from view. Indicate the location of the surgical lesion. (corpus callosum in cross-sectional image; why?--right hemisphere can't inform left hemisphere about what object is in his right hand so left hemisphere can't "name" the object.) 8. During Jim's brain surgery to remove scarred tissue, the surgeon stimulated a part of his brain with an electrode that resulted in Jim hearing music. Where was the electrode placed? 9. Due to anoxia during birth, Kevin has cerebral palsy, which results in rather uncoordinated and jerky movements. His brain damage is probably located here: (cerebellum--cross-sectional image) 10. The character, Lenny, from the classic film, "Memento," was assaulted during a drug bust and now is unable to form new memories. He remembers his name, his former job as well as the deep love he felt for his now deceased wife. What part of his brain was damaged as a result of the physical assault? (hippocampus: cross-sectional image) 11. One of Oliver Sacks case studies, Dr. P, shows a severe deficit in recognizing three dimensional objects. He has started to "talk to door knobs . . . and pats the tops of fire hydrants as if they were children." When Sacks shows him a glove, he has no recognition of what it is but can describe its parts as 'a continuous surface infolded on itself . . with five outpouchings.' They discovered that a tumor is developing in what area of his brain? (occipital lobe in right hemisphere) There are many other possibilities and clearly this can be adapted relative to the knowledge base of the students. Joan [email protected] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
