Sublingual administration

Split-brain is a term used to describe the result when the corpus callosum connecting the two hemispheres of the brain is severed to some degree. It is an association of symptoms produced by disruption of or interference with the connection between the hemispheres of the brain. The surgical operation to produce this condition is called corpus callosotomy and is usually used as a treatment for severe epilepsy.

Overview

The split-brain procedure, or corpus callosotomy, is a drastic way of alleviating epileptic seizures, the occurrence of sporadic electrical storms in the brain. The procedure involves severing the corpus callosum, the main bond between the brain's left and right hemispheres, allowing them to function independently.

Effects

After the right and left brain are disconnected, each hemisphere will have its own separate perception, concepts, and impulses to act. Having two "brains" in one body can create some interesting dilemmas. When one split-brain patient dressed himself, he sometimes pulled his pants up with one hand (that side of his brain wanted to get dressed) and down with the other (this side didn't). Also, once a patient grabbed his wife with his left hand and shook her violently, so his right hand came to her aid and grabbed the aggressive left hand. However, such conflicts are actually rare. If a conflict arises, one hemisphere usually overrides the other.

Research

Research by Roger Sperry in the 1960s on split-brain patients led to an understanding that the two hemispheres of the brain specialize in different tasks. The left hemisphere, for example, is generally responsible for language and mathematical processing, while the right hemisphere is important for spatial recognition and musical and artistic ability.

See also

• Corpus callosum
• Hemispheres of the brain
• Epilepsy
• Roger Sperry

References

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