Split-brain
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Split-brain is the condition where the corpus callosum connecting the two halves of the brain is severed to some degree. This is often done to treat epilepsy.
A patient with a split brain, when shown an image in his or her left visual field (the left half of what each eye sees), will be unable to say what he or she has seen. This is because the speech control center is in the left side of the brain in most people and the image from the left visual field is sent only to the right side of the brain. Since the two sides of the brain cannot communicate, the patient can't say what he or she is seeing. The person can, however, pick up a corresponding object with their left hand, since that hand is controlled by the right side of their brain.
External links
- Interesting summary with further links to follow (http://www.indiana.edu/~pietsch/split-brain.html)
- An animated game that illustrates the split-brain experiments. (http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/split-brain/index.html)