Split Brain
Discuss the implications of the of the split-brain procedure (severing of the corpus callosum) for the understanding of the connections between the left and right hemisphere.
The first known split-brain surgical procedure performed on humans’ was in the early 1940’s by Van Wagenen and Herren, in which both intended to control seizures of patients who suffered intractable epilepsy (Francois Boller, Jordan Graffman, 2000). The procedure performed by Van Wagenen and Herren was based on the speculation as to the role of the corpus callosum in the spread of epilepsy.
The patients of the early 1940’s who underwent the split-brain surgery often did not experience any relief of their epilepsy and therefore surgeons had stopped performing this unworkable procedure. It was not until twenty years later that a complete commissurotomy (severing of connections of the hemispheres) was performed on a former Paratrooper who was experiencing life threatening seizures. (Francois et al, 2000). The doctors who performed the surgery, Phillip Vogel and Joseph Bogen felt the corpus callosum was a critical pathway for the spread of epileptic discharge from one hemisphere to the other (Francois et al, 2000). This took place in 1962 and was done by Vogel and Bogen, who successfully separated the two cerebral hemispheres, which was effective in stopping the patient’s seizures. The same procedure was also subsequently performed on a series of patients who suffered intractable epilepsy.
Research on split-brain had started with animals such as rats, cats and monkeys, which had led to the development of techniques to assess the function of each hemisphere (Francois et al, Myers 1956, Myers and Sperry 1958). This started 30 years of research on human beings, and in turn it effectively gave insights to the functions of the two hemispheres and the ways in which they interact with each other (Francois et al, Gazzaniga 1998).
The early surgeries in the 1940’s involved invasion of the lateral and
The first known split-brain surgical procedure performed on humans’ was in the early 1940’s by Van Wagenen and Herren, in which both intended to control seizures of patients who suffered intractable epilepsy (Francois Boller, Jordan Graffman, 2000). The procedure performed by Van Wagenen and Herren was based on the speculation as to the role of the corpus callosum in the spread of epilepsy.
The patients of the early 1940’s who underwent the split-brain surgery often did not experience any relief of their epilepsy and therefore surgeons had stopped performing this unworkable procedure. It was not until twenty years later that a complete commissurotomy (severing of connections of the hemispheres) was performed on a former Paratrooper who was experiencing life threatening seizures. (Francois et al, 2000). The doctors who performed the surgery, Phillip Vogel and Joseph Bogen felt the corpus callosum was a critical pathway for the spread of epileptic discharge from one hemisphere to the other (Francois et al, 2000). This took place in 1962 and was done by Vogel and Bogen, who successfully separated the two cerebral hemispheres, which was effective in stopping the patient’s seizures. The same procedure was also subsequently performed on a series of patients who suffered intractable epilepsy.
Research on split-brain had started with animals such as rats, cats and monkeys, which had led to the development of techniques to assess the function of each hemisphere (Francois et al, Myers 1956, Myers and Sperry 1958). This started 30 years of research on human beings, and in turn it effectively gave insights to the functions of the two hemispheres and the ways in which they interact with each other (Francois et al, Gazzaniga 1998).
The early surgeries in the 1940’s involved invasion of the lateral and