Strange

Girl with half a brain develops 2-in-1 eye

by Paul Conneally | July 21, 2009 at 12:28 am

718 views | 61 Recommendations | 5 comments

The capacity for the human brain to adapt still causes amazement and this story when we delve behind the lurid headline is such an example.

Born with only one hemisphere of a brain this girl's brain appears to have adapted and 'rewired' itself to enable better vision than anyone could have predicted.

The right side of her brain failed to develop in the womb. But experts believe it rewired itself, with nerve fibres meant for the right hemisphere going to the left.

Losing one half of the brain usually means people see only things on their right or left. In this case, the ten-year-old, of Germany, can see as if she used both her eyes.

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Uwe Paschen

at 04:30 on July 21st, 2009

It would be interesting to know more about this and find out about her cognitive and intellectual capacity as well.

Pat Garcia

at 06:36 on July 21st, 2009

Wow! The human brain is incredible

Barbara McPherson

at 08:37 on July 21st, 2009

I've read that if surgery removes half the brain from a very young child, much of the chores are taken over by the remaining half. Good news for the little girl. Thanks for sharing.

158

at 11:57 on July 21st, 2009

Really amazing

Alan Niven (not verified)

at 13:52 on July 21st, 2009

Isn't it amazing what the blind and undirected process of random mutation and natural selection can achieve. The darwinian mechanism must be even more effective than I thought if it has evolved us brains capable of pulling of this miracle (heavy irony).