When the brain is damaged, it can invent stories to help compensate for a world that just doesn’t make sense. Looking back on events that happened decades ago, he could recall information just as well as anyone else.īut when he described his time as a radio operator in the Marines, something would change: Suddenly, he switches to the present tense, and is convinced that he’ s still the young soldier from 30 years ago, only just home from World War II.
He could easily remember the streets and friends of his childhood, as well as his time in school.
In the 1980s, American sailor Jimmie G related his life story to his doctor. In the following book summary, we’ll look at some specific examples of the other bizarre behavior it can cause. On one hand, she wanted to stop the disease from getting worse, as neurosyphilis can be fatal but she also desperately wanted to maintain the positive effects of feeling youthful, self-confident and happier than she had ever been.Ĭlearly, brain damage can cause people to act very strangely. The cause was neurosyphilis, which stimulated her ancient cerebral cortex. Such was the case for an 89-year-old woman who suddenly started to feel energetic and more open than ever, and even started flirting with younger men. Many sufferers of Korsakow syndrome lose years’ worth of memories and can’t retain new information.īrain damage can lead to the most grotesque and absurd sounding impairments, but in rare cases it can actually have a positive impact on a person’s life. For example, Korsakow syndrome (which is named after a Russian psychiatrist and neurologist who studied alcoholics) is caused by alcohol-inflicted damage to the hippocampus. ĭamage to the brain can severely alter or impair our abilities, regardless of whether it was caused by a tumor, poison, inflammation or a stroke.įor example, if your brain overproduces the neurotransmitter dopamine, then you’re likely to develop compulsive twitching, imitate others and grimace and curse without being able to stop it.Įven brain damage caused by alcoholism can have severe impacts on the mind.
So, what connects these people? They all suffer from some form of brain damage. Third, a man understands body language, facial movements and tone perfectly, but has absolutely no comprehension of language.
In reality, the offending limb is her own. Second, a patient at your hospital lives in constant fear, as she believes someone has left their leg in her bed. Imagine you’re a neuroscientist and you come across these three cases:įirst, a man mistakes parking meters for children at play, and affectionately caresses their “heads.” He also mistakes his wife's head for a hat and causes quite a commotion when he tries to put it on.
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