How much brain do we need?

I recently read an article about hemispherectomy, an operation which involves removing part or all on an entire brain hemisphere. Apparently, children who have undergone this operation are able to function normally and retain their memory and understanding. My questions:

  1. If neurons are used to incode information, and you take out half the neurons, how can you still retain all or most of your memory and understanding?

  2. If you can function with half a brain, how much brain do humans actually need?

  3. What mechanisms allow the brain to shift functions from one hemisphere to another?

There is a guy in Australia who was in the British Commandos in the Falkland Islands He was shot in the head and more than half his brain disappeared (the TV show I saw had footage of the surgery). He now works as a producer in the movie industry. If you saw him walking down the street he looks like a mild stroke sufferer.

Soop, it’s all about morphic resonance.

To be fair someone else here posted that link–I am determined to keep this information alive on these boards though.:cool:

To clarify my previous post: Think of the brain as a receiver (as noted in the link)–no intellectual processes occur within the organ itself but …elsewhere (maybe Question can explain) or as an organ that allows thought to be translated into function. Once damaged, its ability to direct function is likewise impaired.

Fun theory, but full o holes.

Children’s brains are more plastic. The younger the child the more the plasticity. So a young child who suffers some brain damage is more likely to develop new neuron connections to compensate, as well as possibly new neurons.

According to the late John Lorber, humans suffering from hydrocephalus, or water in the brain, can survive and even thrive with only 5-20% of their original grey matter. (Or maybe they have all their grey matter, compressed to 5-20% of the original volume. Hmmmm.)

I started the thread, Is the Human Brain Really Necessary to discuss this claim, expecting it to be soundly debunked. To my small surprise, it was not, although some skepticism was applied.

It would be nice to get to the bottom of this.

Perhaps Oliver Sachs’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat has some pertinent information.

[Black humor]
Judging by the quality of most productions I guess the movie industry attracts many half-brainers.
[/Black humor]

More seriously, I´m quite surprised to hear that; I mean, half his brain gone? how could he survive that?

Damnit Ale! You beat me to it.

To the OP, well, judging from some of my posts, not much. :wink:

Matchka, I have been unable the content of the webpage link you provided. The site didn’t give any names to the ‘brainless’ people it was refering to. And based on the sites it links too… I think i’d take a grain of salt before believing it.