PSY 4580 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Brainstem, Basket Cell, Basal Ganglia
27 Feb 2017
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Patient ar, male developed seizures at age 11 in only right side of body. Dysphasia (impairment of speech due to damage to cns) Initially right handed, but became unable to use right hand and started to use left hand. By age 15 iq score had dropped 30 points. By 17, language and emotional problems made psychological testing impossible. At 17, diagnosed with ra(cid:373)usse(cid:374)"s e(cid:374)cephalitis (chronic brain infection leading to virtual loss of function in one hemisphere) As such, most of left cerebral hemisphere was removed (hemispherectomy) However, functionally illiterate except at most basic level. Could move, but had limp and could only lift right arm to shoulder level. Could open and close right hand to grasp objects. Hierarchy of function from spinal cord to cortex. Levels of function- subcortical structures mediate complex behaviors. Nerve continued to function- produced contractions when touched. Even though we can live without some brain parts due to plasticity, they are still necessary.
