In this era of precision medical imaging, it’s not uncommon to get a CT scan or MRI for one thing and have the radiologist find something altogether different. These incidental findings usually don’t reveal anything major. But what if the doctor said, “Hey, did you know you’re missing a big chunk of your brain?”
That surreal experience is recounted in the story of Elyse G. She is one of a number of people recently discovered to be missing significant chunks of brain, with no apparent health impact, staff writer Meghan Rosen reports. Elyse is lacking most of her left temporal lobe, which is generally believed to be essential for language.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.
