Injured Brain May Distort Reality

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It is one of the strangest cases of our brain impacting our perception of reality. It is called anosignosia.

In this condition an alert and talking individual who is paralyzed on one side of his or her body has no awareness of paralysis and actually claims that the paralyzed limbs can still move.

Italian researchers have studied this bizarre condition and reported on it many times over the years. They actually have identified brain regions that are involved. Brain scans show clearly that people with this condition have damage to the frontal lobes of the brain. This part of the brain is directly involved in many types of movement.

The same group is now studying another odd phenomenon where people have no awareness of anything on their left side. These people can look at a clock and only see the right half.

Yes - it is the brain that determines our reality.