A boy recovers a normal life after losing a large part of his brain

A boy who lost much of his brain because of a brain tumor has recovered to a degree remarkable, the rest of his brain being redone. The researchers reported on Tuesday.

Surgeons removed one-third of an entire lobe of Tanner Collins's brain to stop the seizures caused by a benign brain tumor when he was 6 years old. With all the visual processing center for his left eye. But the remaining part of her brain has adjusted, the Carnegie Mellon University team in Pittsburgh reported in the journal Cell Reports

Although he lost Tanner, now 12 years old, says he recognizes people normally.

"I have definitely been able to adapt," Tanner told NBC News. "I can recognize faces perfectly."

Now, Tanner, who lives in New Stanton, Pennsylvania, wants to become a neurosurgeon himself.

This type of brain surgery is rare and every patient is different, says Marlene Behrmann, a cognitivist who has worked on Tanner's case. With Tanner's regular brain scans, the team saw his brain adapt to the loss of a significant portion of his visual treatment.

"We had an unprecedented vision of plasticity at work," Behrmann told NBC News. The tumor was on the right side of Tanner's brain. "I had a lot of vomiting and had the worst headaches," Tanner recalls. Then he had a "full seizure," said Tanner's father, Carl Collins. It was not until then that the family even knew that he had seizures, or that a brain tumor was the cause.

The family had the choice: to allow surgeons to remove a third of Tanner's right cerebral lobe to eradicate the tumor. and perhaps relieve seizures, or watch and wait to see what happened.

"We wanted to remove the tumor and still keep Tanner at the same time," said Collins, who, as a nurse, understood the risks. "To lose so much brain, we were nervous."

The part of the brain that has been removed accounts for a large part of a person's visual processing, said Behrmann

"The visual system in the right hemisphere carries the burden of the face." , she said. "The left hemisphere has the function of recognizing words."

While Tanner lost none of his ocular function, much of the treatment center was gone. [19659004] "In Tanner's case, we saw that the left hemisphere went up to the plate," said Behrmann. "He took not only word recognition, but he also assumed the facial recognition function "

At the beginning, much of his visual field also disappeared.

" I kept running in the walls. "This fit was easier, although he lacked Peripheral vision from one side, it can move the eyes and head to compensate.

M Tanner now plays chess and volleyball, collects coins and swims. According to his doctors, his IQ is a little above average and he is about to start his seventh year in a few weeks.

"I can do anything anyone can do for most. My parents think that I miraculously recovered, "Tanner said.

" It's almost as though it never happened. He's your normal, average 12 year old, "added his father.The only thing he will not be able to do is drive.But his brothers and sisters have sworn to drive him for the rest of his life. "