Brain Drippings

So, Reuters and Wired, at least, are reporting the story of a French Civil Servant who went into hospital and was found to have nearly no brain at all. No, it’s not a joke, it’s a well know, albeit rare, form of Hydrocephalus (literally, water-brain). In most cases, Hydrocephalus causes some form of mental retardation if it is not caught early and treated, normally with a shunt. What is odd is that in cases where it is treated, it can recur, but once the brain has developed, the brain has a remarkable capacity to adapt itself to the ongoing decay caused by the Hydrocephalus.

I recall a biology book, back in the Dark Ages (before Google or AltaVista) which showed an early CAT scan of someone with Hydrocephalus who had, to all outward appearances, normal brain function. The entire interior of the scan was dark with pockets of bright areas indicating activity around the exterior.

OK, I have to admit that the battery of jokes about the French Civil Service have been tempting, but I’ll refrain.