Phantoms in the Brain Book Review
Calvin Mackin
Period 4
2/14/15
Phantoms in the Brain
V.S. Ramachandra Blakeslee and Sandra Blakeslee
Chapter one: The Phantom Within. This chapter gives an overview of the author’s interests, the brain, and an overview of the rest of the book. Ramachandra grew up interested in exploring exceptions to rules in science, by using simple research materials, techniques, and instruments instead of complex and intricate research methods. Ramachandra gives a brief description of some brain parts: the neuron, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, medulla oblongata, spinal cord, cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, motor and sensory cortices and the corpus callosum. Ramachandra touches on the question of if our brain processes are localized, how are they, and where are they.
Throughout his research, Ramachandra uses many different test subjects with different disabilities or abilities to study the brain and its functions.
Chapter two: Knowing Where to Search. This chapter introduces phantom limbs and the reasons behind their existence. Phantom limbs occur when a patient loses their hand, arm, leg or foot but still continues to “feel” sensations in the missing limb. Some theories propose that it arises from irritated nerve endings, fooling the brain to believe the arm is feeling something. Ramachandra introduces a different theory for phantom limbs. He discovers through using a qtip to touch the face of a man with a missing arm that he “feels” his arm being touched along with his face. Ramachandra theorizes that
this occurs due to the interconnectedness of neurons of the face and the arm in the parietal lobe. When the man lost his arm, neurons for that arm in the parietal lobe rewired with the neurons associated with the face.
Chapter 3: Chasing the Phantom. In this chapter, the author looks deeper into phantom limbs, delving into how one would stop the sensations in them. Ramachandra found that your brain puts certain blocks in your mind for
Period 4
2/14/15
Phantoms in the Brain
V.S. Ramachandra Blakeslee and Sandra Blakeslee
Chapter one: The Phantom Within. This chapter gives an overview of the author’s interests, the brain, and an overview of the rest of the book. Ramachandra grew up interested in exploring exceptions to rules in science, by using simple research materials, techniques, and instruments instead of complex and intricate research methods. Ramachandra gives a brief description of some brain parts: the neuron, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, medulla oblongata, spinal cord, cerebellum, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, motor and sensory cortices and the corpus callosum. Ramachandra touches on the question of if our brain processes are localized, how are they, and where are they.
Throughout his research, Ramachandra uses many different test subjects with different disabilities or abilities to study the brain and its functions.
Chapter two: Knowing Where to Search. This chapter introduces phantom limbs and the reasons behind their existence. Phantom limbs occur when a patient loses their hand, arm, leg or foot but still continues to “feel” sensations in the missing limb. Some theories propose that it arises from irritated nerve endings, fooling the brain to believe the arm is feeling something. Ramachandra introduces a different theory for phantom limbs. He discovers through using a qtip to touch the face of a man with a missing arm that he “feels” his arm being touched along with his face. Ramachandra theorizes that
this occurs due to the interconnectedness of neurons of the face and the arm in the parietal lobe. When the man lost his arm, neurons for that arm in the parietal lobe rewired with the neurons associated with the face.
Chapter 3: Chasing the Phantom. In this chapter, the author looks deeper into phantom limbs, delving into how one would stop the sensations in them. Ramachandra found that your brain puts certain blocks in your mind for