What Happens If the Corpus Callosum Is Damaged?
Different types of damage to the corpus callosum cause different symptoms; however, all types of damage to the corpus callosum cause a disconnection between the brain’s hemispheres, according to the National Institutes of Health. The corpus callosum is a part of the brain that connects the left and right hemispheres.
Dr. Jeffry Ricker cites a case in which a police officer suffered from a brain tumor located in the middle of the brain. Upon removal of the tumor, it was discovered that the patient was suffering from odd symptoms such as being unable to identify common objects in his left hand without looking at them.
The brain contains two cortical hemispheres that work together to process information. In the case cited by Dr. Ricker, the two hemispheres of the patient’s brain had experienced a disconnection, which resulted in neurological symptoms ranging from the inability to identify objects with the left hand to being unable to write letters of the alphabet with his left hand.
Common symptoms of interhemispheric disconnection include left visual field dyslexia, left upper limb ideomotor dyspraxia, left hand anomia, left visual field dysnomia and left ear suppression during dichotic listening tasks. The National Institutes of Health postulates that the posterior body of the corpus callosum is a particularly important connection point for visual-motor responses.
