Science tells us that particular areas of the brain carry out specific functions, so how do people with damaged

or underdeveloped brains still function normally? In 1996 in the US, a young buy, here referred to as James, was about to undergo a serious operation. James was only eight years old and suffered from a condition known as Sturge-Weber syndrome, which had caused the formation of abnormal blood vessels in the left hemisphere of his brain. As a result he was afflicted by regular epileptic fits and had a very low mental age; the only word in James's vocabulary was 'mamma'. In an attempt to to rectify the problem, doctors felt forced to take drastic steps. They decided to remove the entire left side of his brain the medical team knew that, since the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, the operation to save James's life would also leave him partially paralysed. What they didn't expect, however, were the developments in James's condition which occurred soon after the surgery. Within weeks, James began to talk and, two years after, he was close to reaching a normal mental age. Amazingly, the operation to remove an entire hemisphere of his brain appears to have cured James of his learning difficulties. Medical Mystery. Such remarkable examples of adaptability are far more common than we might think. In conflict with established medical thinking, there are literally hundreds of cases where people have either been born with an underdeveloped brain, or have had large areas of their brain damaged in an accident, but are still able to function normally. Such anomalies were partly explained when it was discovered that we have the ability to relocate particular brain functions to other areas of the brain. Exactly how this works is still beyond modern science, and so the ability lies in limbo between accepted medical fact and that which is still regarded as nonsense. However, it may be that this discovery is only the tip of the iceberg, for there are people whose very existence seems to indicate that our brains are nowhere near as vital to our survival as we might think. In countries across the world, there are hundreds of cases of a condition called hydrocephalus (often known colloquially as 'water on the brain'), where cavities form in the brain that can be so large that they account for 95% of the brain's mass. this leaves only a fluid-filled bubble of the outermost cerebral tissue which, in extreme cases, has been found to be less than one millimeter thick. (Ordinarily, the walls of the cerebrum are 45mm thick.) The condition is so serious that, if it is recognized before birth, a decision is often taken to terminate the pregnancy because only a small proportion of sufferers survive. In those born with this condition, the body's production of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which fills the cavities in the brain is working at a rate well above the norm. This usually leads to a swelling of the cranium; one six-year-old boy had a skull with a circumference 72cm greater than that of the average adult. Modern techniques,

however, allowed doctors to drain the fluid until normal pressure was restored and the boy survived. Despite the seriousness of this condition, in some people it appears to have little or no affect on their intellectual abilities. Indeed, to the surprise of the medical establishment, in a study of 253 hydrocephalus sufferers carried out by the University of Sheffield, Professor John Lorber discovered tat there is no relation between volume of brain tissue and IQ. Surprising Results. Of the 253 subjects in the study, 9 were found to have approximately only 5% of the normal amount of brain tissue. Despite this, 4 had IQ's of above 100, the national average, and another 2 had IQ's of above 126, while one of the subjects proved to be as intelligent as those studying him, he had a first-class degree in maths. One possible explanation for such achievements as this is the neopallium, which forms the very outermost layer of the brain. Since the brains are larger with hydrocephalus sufferers, they have larger neopalliums while the brain mass is diminished in bulk. The neopallium is the site for some of the most important mental functions, such as the power of reasoning. Cases such as these have been cropping up regularly to test the stability of modern medicine, yet are largely disregarded. They undermine established beliefs about the relationship between the human brain and the site of consciousness and so are largely ignored by mainstream medical science. When asked about the impact of his research into hydrocephalus sufferers, Professor Lorber said it had 'suffered a fate like much of the literature of phenomenological science: it was ignored.' While science chooses to blinker itself, these medical anomalies continue to walk the streets, their fluid-filled craniums not preventing them from leading normal lives and taking degrees. Brainless Boy. One related case that has received more exposure than most is that of Andrew Vandal, who was born on 12th July 1984. In the early stages of his development in the womb a cyst appeared on the stem of his brain. Known as an atelencephic aprosencephaly, this destructive event left the boy with a cranium containing nothing but fluid. In some cases, it can even leave victims with no detectible brain at all - a condition known as anencephaly or 'brainlessness'. Cases like Andrew's are again usually terminated before birth, but in this instance the subject was born and then put up for adoption. He was adopted by a paediatric nurse, Kaye Vandal, from Wallingford, Connecticut, US, who, when last asked about Andrew's welfare, stated that she remained devoted to 'giving him the best quality life for however long he lives.' At the same time, Kaye stated that, against doctors' predictions, Andrew was able to laugh, giggle and smile and, has a 'glowing, outgoing, bubbly personality'. Kaye also

stated that her young charge was able to respond to stimulus and was maturing mentally; both of which doctors believed to be impossible, considering his complete absence of brain matter. Andrew was, however, unable to speak, and was cortically blind; that is, he could see images, but was unable unable to interpret them. Andrew was also incapable of walking, but did manage to drag himself along on his back. Biological Versatility. Cases such as Andrew's provide real-life testimony to our astonishing adaptability as biological organisms