Brain and Behavior

The brain is an extraordinary subject. An organ that only takes up to approximately 2% of our total body weight but functions as the coordinating center for processing and maintaining basic life functions. When dividing the brain into a left and right hemisphere, we see the functions performed by the brain divide as well according to their appropriate hemisphere. Some examples of functions that occur in the left hemisphere are: language, logic, analytical thought, and math and science. As for the right hemisphere: holistic thought, intuition, creativity, and art and music. Each hemisphere of the brain also controls the opposite side of the body. When breaking the brain down even more, you can define each function the brain produces into each tissue that makes up the brain. When looking at the size of the brain and how many functions it contains, I would think the loss of a piece of your brain would create an huge conflict when trying to perform normal tasks. I took a personal interest in the story of an extraordinary little girl named Cameron Mott who had to go through a surgical procedure in which removed an entire hemisphere of her brain but yet strives for greatness as of present day.

Cameron Mott was 6 years old when she underwent the procedure of the removal of the right hemisphere of her brain. Cameron had been diagnosed with Rasmussen’s encephalitis - a rare disease that leads to paralysis and brain damage. She would have electrical surges flow through her brain, causing her nervous system to not cooperate. A few of her symptoms that occurred on a daily basis are seizures, muscle contractions, and temporary unconsciousness. Her first seizure would come in the first hour of her waking up. With all the risks at hand towards going through with the procedure, the possible outcome of having a normal life and not having to suffer through anymore of her symptoms outweighed all those risks for her parents. The largest conflict that would arise after her procedure would be, how would she be able to control the left side of her body without the right hemisphere of her brain? Cameron was going to have to find a way to use the left hemisphere of her brain to not only continue to control the right side of her body, but also produce the functions that were produced by the right hemisphere of her brain as well as control the left side of her body. This process of combining one side of the brain to the other is called plasticity. Fortunately enough, the process seems to be working as she continues to get stronger as each day goes by. Though her ability to walk and do some other functions may never recover all the way, she has come a long way since the day of her procedure. She's able to walk on her own, she's going to school and even going to summer camps as recorded from an article going over her progress as a 13-year-old. The only word I can use to describe Cameron Mott is extraordinary, just like the brain in itself.


Works Cited
-Extraordinary People - Living With Half A Brain: Six year old Cameron Mott had half her brain removed three weeks ago – today she pedals. https://youtu.be/iYJuqughKmw
-http://www.pbs.org/the-brain-with-david-eagleman/blogs/behind-the-scenes-blog/meeting-the-extraordinary-cameron
-https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170419131801.htm
-https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/brainhemispheres/