Brain damage!!

•Stroke = cardiovascular accident that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, killing many neurons• Risk factors = high blood pressure, hardened arteries, high intake of stimulants (ex. Cocaine)

Brain Damage

• Head injury = blow to the head causing impaired motor coordination and/or language ability• Sometimes causes loss of intellectual

functioning, such as concentration, memory, reasoning, judgment, problem-solving, decision-making

• Can affect personality ex. Phineas Gage• Note: Disability depends on area of brain

affected

Concussion traumatic brain injury-youtube

•Once neurons are destroyed, they are gone forever•BUT, damaged neurons can regenerate dendrites & axons to restore SOME functions

Recovery from Brain Damage

• Areas near the damaged site may take over lost function• example: Aphasia = word finding

problem; undamaged hemisphere can sometimes be trained to handle the language function but can rarely restore it to normal

• plasticity = ability of brain to reorganize & compensate for brain damage

• greatest in young kids before hemispheres are completely lateralized

Awake-Brain Surgery