Study of the impact of a hemispherotomy on the organization of the brain (Pr Blawblomme)

Study of the impact of a hemispherotomy on the organization of the brain (Pr Blawblomme)

Our brain has two hemispheres whose connections allow us to think and act. What happens when one of the two hemispheres is completely disconnected, as is the case in children operated on for severe epilepsy by hemispherotomy?

In this study, Pr Blauwblomme, a neurosurgeon at Necker, and Dr Demertzis, a researcher at the ICM and at the university of Gant, studied MRI functional connectivity in 2 epileptic children who, after a right hemispherotomy, resumed as normal a life as possible.

The authors show that the reorganization especially at the level of the thalamus and cerebellum allows the healthy hemisphere to support all functions. The disconnected hemisphere, despite residual connections, shows a level of consciousness similar to patients in vegetative coma.

Complete hemispherotomy leads to lateralized functional organization and lower level of consciousness in the isolated hemisphere (September 2020)

Thomas Blauwblomme, MD, PhD*1,2,3†, Athena Demertzi, PhD 4,5,6†, Jean-Marc Tacchela3, Ludovic Fillon3, Marie Bourgeois1, Emma Losito1, Monika Eisermann1, Daniele Marinazzo, PhD7, Federico Raimondo, PhD6,8, Sarael Alcauter, PhD9, Frederik Van De Steen, PhD7, Nigel Colenbier, MSc7, Steven Laureys, MD, PhD8, Volodia Dangouloff-Ros1,2,3, Lionel Naccache, MD, PhD5,6, Nathalie Boddaert1,2,3, Rima Nabbout1,2,3