Neuro Note: Power of the Brain

I watched a Ted talk that featured Vilayanur Ramachandran, a researcher who infuses situational comedy with his explanation of how we can uncover correlates between function and structures of the brain when we observe people experiencing dysfunction due to brain injury. Dr. Ramachandran dives into the remarkable ability of the brain to produce human nature and consciousness within the circuitry of a 3-pound organ. He describes how a severing of the small connection between the fusiform gyrus and the amygdala will cause a person to have inhibited emotional significance of someone/something they see, allowing them to recognize what they see but have no emotional connection to that person/object, making them think that that stimuli are not real or is an imposter. He also discusses the experience of a phantom limb by a person with a previously paralyzed limb due to nerve damage that was amputated due to pain; he explains that while the limb is paralyzed, the brain learns from visual feedback that it is not able to move the paralyzed arm, and this learned paralysis transfers over to a phantom limb. He then created a mirror box; when he directs a person with a painful phantom limb to move both limbs in the same way, the mirror reflects the nonaffected limb making it appear that the affected limb is there and giving the brain to have visual input that reflects its commands, which decreases phantom pains.  

The research that Dr. Ramachandran has developed helps us find the derivatives of human perceptions and behaviors that we have only made larger generalizations about in the past. I feel like the cases that Dr. Ramachandran used to determine specific connections in the brain gives us a better grasp on brain structure regarding function but also yield essential research on how we can direct the rewiring of the brain after an incident to allow for results that redirect signals to different brain areas/structures. This Ted talk should inspire practitioners to work on interventions that support neuroplasticity and prioritize rehabilitating functional skills and teaching compensatory movements, behaviors, and assistive technology as a secondary aid to reintegrating affected body structures and processes.

This Ted talk relates to our course because it furthers our knowledge of brain structures in relation to function. Additionally, it gives greater insight into recovery after injury and how we can use unique techniques to provide a therapeutic experience that focuses on occupations that will aid in developing patterns that could rehabilitate our clients in a way that allows for the most functional outcomes. I would highly recommend Dr. Ramachandran’s Ted talk to others who would like to gain more insight into the abilities of our brains.

References

VS Ramachandran. (2019). 3 clues to understanding your brain. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandran_3_clues_to_understanding_your_brain

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