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A rare medical case, first described in The Lancet in 2007, highlights the brain’s remarkable adaptability and neuroplasticity. Despite losing 90 percent of his brain, the then-44-year-old Frenchman was reportedly able to live a relatively normal life, challenging traditional theories about consciousness and brain function. Read this also This CT scan is of a ’73 year old woman in which doctors found a 30 year old calcified fetus’ aka stone baby.
all about the case
Insights from cognitive psychologist Axel Cleremans – shared by CBC Radio in a July 14, 2016 report – suggest that the brain’s ability to learn, adapt and reorganize itself plays a key role in maintaining consciousness and functionality even in the face of significant damage.
According to the report, a 44-year-old man from France went to the hospital when he started feeling weakness in his legs. Then doctors told him that most of his brain was missing. The man’s skull was filled with fluid, leaving only a thin layer of brain tissue. This condition is known as hydrocephalus.
‘Father of two children and worked as a civil servant’
Here’s what The Lancet said: “A 44-year-old man presented with a history of mild weakness of the left leg for 2 weeks. At 6 months of age, he had to undergo ventriculoatrial shunt due to postpartum hydrocephalus of unknown cause. When he was 14 years old, he developed ataxia and paresis of the left leg, which resolved completely after shunt revision. His Neurological development and medical history were otherwise normal. He was. A married father of two children, and worked as a civil servant.
It states, “On neuropsychological testing, his intelligence quotient (IQ) proved to be 75: his verbal IQ was 84, and his performance IQ was 70. CT showed severe dilation of the lateral ventricles (figure); MRI showed massive expansion of the lateral, third, and fourth ventricles, a very thin cortical mantle, and a posterior fossa cyst. Revealed. We diagnosed a noncommunicable hydrocephalus, with possible stenosis of the foramen of Magendie (figure). Leg weakness partially improved after neuroendoscopic ventriculocisternostomy, but soon recurred; However, after a ventriculoperitoneal shunt is inserted, within a few weeks Neurological test results came back normal. The findings on neuropsychological testing and CT did not change.”
‘It’s incredible that the brain can continue to function’
Calling the man’s case a medical miracle – but also a major challenge to theories about consciousness – Axel said, “He was living a normal life. He has a family. He works. He was tested for IQ at the time of his complaint. It came out to be 84, which is slightly below the normal range… So, this person is not bright – but perfectly, socially appropriate.”
He also reportedly spoke about this ‘extremely rare case’ at the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness conference in Buenos Aires in 2016. Asked ‘what kind of big lesson does this case offer about our brains’, Axel said, “One of the lessons is that plasticity is probably much more widespread than we thought… It’s really incredible that the brain can continue to function, more or less, within normal limits, with many fewer neurons than a normal brain. A second lesson perhaps: if you’re interested in consciousness – this is the way that the brain Biological activity produces awareness… One idea I’m defending is the idea that awareness depends on the brain’s ability to learn.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you have about a medical condition.
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