The Shift from Deficits to a Science of the Self
Neurology has traditionally focused on "deficits"—the loss of specific functions like speech, memory, or vision. Since the mid-19th century, scientists have mapped the brain by linking these losses to damage in specific areas, primarily within the left hemisphere. The right hemisphere, long considered the "minor" side, was neglected because its functions were harder to define through simple mechanical mapping.
However, the right hemisphere is essential for recognizing reality and maintaining a sense of self. While the left hemisphere operates like a computer, handling programs and schematics, the right hemisphere allows a person to perceive the concrete, the personal, and the "real." When this side of the brain fails, the resulting disorders are not just simple losses of skill but fundamental disruptions of identity. Understanding these conditions requires a more personal approach to science—one that looks at how an individual strives to preserve their identity even when their world becomes an organized chaos.
Full summary available in the Readsome app
