Weird Science: Woman of 24 found to have no cerebellum in her brain

[RavenSky]

Doctors did a CAT scan and immediately identified the source of the problem – her entire cerebellum was missing (see scan, below left). The space where it should be was empty of tissue. Instead it was filled with cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions the brain and provides defence against disease.

The cerebellum – sometimes known as the "little brain" – is located underneath the two hemispheres. It looks different from the rest of the brain because it consists of much smaller and more compact folds of tissue. It represents about 10 per cent of the brain's total volume but contains 50 per cent of its neurons

http://www.newscientist.com/article...-no-cerebellum-in-her-brain.html#.VBS_wPldXnh

 

[J842P]

This has been making the rounds on social media. Stories like this pop up all the time. They are told like campfire stories to grad students. What if this precious thing you are studying isn't really all that useful? Anyway, I'll see your cerebellum and raise you a cerebrum:

http://www.rifters.com/real/articles/Science_No-Brain.pdf

 

[Jokodo]

I've seen this story under the title of "24-year-old woman born without cerebellum" (that may be a translation, chances are that I've seen this in some local outlet, but I think the same interpretations hold either way). I found that funny.

 

[barbos]

CAT scans became routine In China. Boy, China is really progressing.
Women do have ability to cope with brain injuries better than men, so I am not surprised that it was a woman who lives without Cerebellum.

 

[Sarpedon]

Umm...the article says she was developmentally disabled when it came to motor functions. So you can't say that the cerebellum does nothing. What is amazing is the rest of the brain adapted. The brain can adapt to all kinds of things. If only we could build machines so adaptable!

 

[barbos]

Umm...the article says she was developmentally disabled when it came to motor functions. So you can't say that the cerebellum does nothing. What is amazing is the rest of the brain adapted. The brain can adapt to all kinds of things. If only we could build machines so adaptable!

Amazing, but has anybody checked Palin's head, maybe she has more things missing there, and she is adapted rather well too.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I was going to make a crack about how anyone would notice it if a woman was missing part of her brain, but then I read the article and it talked about all the various handicaps that she's had to suffer through her whole life as a result of it and decided that remarks like that would be out of line.

All you people who would have laughed at my joke are insensitive jerks.