A hemispherectomy is a rare surgical procedure in which one entire hemisphere (left or right) of the brain is removed or disabled.
It is typically performed to treat severe, drug-resistant epilepsy that affects one hemisphere.
The neuroplasticity of the brain allows the remaining hemisphere to take over many functions of the removed one.
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For example:
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If the left hemisphere (usually dominant for language) is removed early in life, the right hemisphere can develop language capabilities.
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Motor and sensory functions can be partially reassigned to the remaining hemisphere.