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Doctors inChinawere surprised to find that a young charwoman who had lived a normal life for more than two decades was actually lose an authoritative part of her brain , agree to a new report of her eccentric .

The 24 - year - old ’s strange precondition was discovered when she go to doc because of a monthlong bout of sickness and regurgitation . The affected role told the doc she had also experienced dizziness her intact liveliness . She did n’t start walk until she was four and had never been able to walk steady .

MRI scans of the patient�s brain show a large hole where the cerebellum should be.

MRI scans of the patient’s brain show a large hole where the cerebellum should be.

When the doctors scan the woman’sbrain , they establish she had no cerebellum , a region of the brain thought to be crucial for walking and other movement . Instead , the CAT scan showed a turgid hole filled with cerebrospinal fluid . [ 16 Oddest Medical   Case   Reports ]

" CT and MRI scans revealed no remainder of any cerebellar tissues , verifying consummate absence of the cerebellum , " the doctors wrote in the report , bring out Aug. 22 inthe daybook Brain .

The cerebellum , which means " little mastermind " in Latin , is responsible for coordination and fine movements , such as the movements of the mouth and glossa needed for producing oral communication . People with equipment casualty to this brain area typically experience debilitating motor difficulties . Yet contrary to the doctors ' anticipation , the Formosan cleaning woman ’s absence seizure of the cerebellum result in only soft to moderate motor problems and slightly slurred pronunciation , according to the investigator . " This surprising phenomenon , " demonstrates the plasticity of the brain early in life , they wrote .

Brain scans revealed the patient’s brain was missing the cerebellum, which normally resides on the back of the head.

Brain scans revealed the patient’s brain was missing the cerebellum, which normally resides on the back of the head.

" It show that the young brain tends to be much more flexible or adaptable to abnormalcy , " said Dr. Raj Narayan , chair of neurosurgery at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York , who was n’t involved with the woman ’s example . " When a somebody is either born with an abnormality or at a very young eld lose a especial part of the head , the ease of the wit tries to reconnect and to counterbalance for that loss or absence seizure , " Narayan allege .

This remarkableability of the brainpower is thought to decline with eld . " As we get sometime , the ability of the brain to brook damage is much more special , " Narayan said . " So , for representative , in a 60 - year - erstwhile individual , if I direct the cerebellum out , they would be severely impaired . "

This is not the first case of a person found to be miss the cerebellum . In fact , there have been eight other similar casing report , the researchers say . However , most cases involved infants or children who also showed severe genial harm , epilepsy and big structural abnormalities in their brains , and most did not endure the consideration .

A photo of a statue head that is cracked and half missing

It is possible that more people are affect by this rarefied stipulation but they do n’t get diagnose or reported , Narayan said . " In the future , it may become more recognized because of Einstein imaging , " he added .

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an MRI scan of a brain

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Discover "10 Weird things you never knew about your brain" in issue 166 of How It Works magazine.

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