The Brains of the Sea

The Brains of the Sea

Most of the earth’s surface is ocean, and many major animal groups that exist today originated in the sea.  Yet only 15% of animals live in the ocean, while 80% live on land.  Quite a weird statistic, raising the question if aquatic animals are evolutionarily inferior? The neuroanatomy of some saltwater dwellers may actually suggest…

foot drop

The Many Faces of Foot Drop

Foot drop is a condition in which the foot cannot elevate (dorsiflex) toward the sky. It can be on one side (unilateral) or both feet (bilateral) When muscle strength becomes less than a 3 out of 5, an abnormal gait pattern arises, due to the foot tripping on the ground. This is usually called a…

Awake Neurosurgery

Awake Neurosurgery

It may shock some, but the first neurological surgeries were performed at least semi-awake. As we discussed in prior blogs, Mesoamerican trephinations likely only used coca and wild tobacco. Maize beer may have limited pain. But even more, recent procedures, as modern neurosurgical techniques emerged in the late 1800s, weren’t all too different. Nitrous oxide…