brain transplant?

Question

if medics could acheive brain transplants from one body to another - would the patient be a totaly different person?

Answer 1

Politicians and pop stars have been doing it for years. They call it "reinventing"

Answer 2

If this could be done the personality and all non physical characteristics would transfer to the new donor body. There are however enormous complications with this concept... detailed below.

A whole-body transplant, or brain transplant, moves the brain of one being into the body of another. It is a procedure distinct from head transplant, which involves transferring the entire head to a new body (this has in fact been done with monkeys, although the monkey was paralyzed and had to be killed after the experiment), as opposed to the brain only. The necessary technology currently does not exist to fully and safely perform this procedure.

One of the most significant barriers to the procedure is the inability of nerve tissue to heal properly; scarred nerve tissue doesn't transmit signals well (this is the reason a spinal cord injury is so devastating). However, recent research at the Wistar Institute of the University of Pennsylvania involving tissue-regenerating mice may provide pointers for further research as to how to regenerate nerves without scarring.

Also, for the procedure to be practical, the age of the donated body must be sufficient — an adult-sized brain could only fit into the skull of a body at least nine to twelve years old, as that is when the head reaches adult size.

Regardless of this, the feasibility of ever completing a brain transplant is nil to none. The brain would have to make complete connection to the hundreds of millions/billions of sensory connectors which make up our nervous system. At this time we have difficulty simply reconnecting single nerves in a persons hand when trying to reattach the limb. This fact in itself may make this a very unrealistic concept.... ever...

Answer 3

Well, let's use your computer to make an analogy.....

Brain is analogous to the CPU. If your CPU is exchanged with my CPU,will you see the same programs and documents when you open it? That would be a sufficient explanation I believe.

Scientifically speaking though, brain transplantation is still far from reality. The fact that brain is a "highly super sensitive delicate" organ which has no ability to regenerate is a main factor to consider. Most likely the chance of failure will be higher.

Ethical and moral issues would come next as the big issue to ponder. Who will be the donor? Will it be ever allowed for a living person to donate a brain? (That would sound analogous to murder.)

Well, just running a wild imagination regardless of how it can become a reality.....Definitely the patient will be a totally different person. Not the same as the person who owns the body.

Answer 4

the question is if the person who is trading the brain with the person who needs the transplant what will happen to the person whp traded the brain? The patient will be fine but the transplant doner wouldn't

Answer 5

I don't think it will ever be possible.

The brain is far, far too complex. The brain has billions of nerve cells and is easily damaged without its protective cranium. Removing the brain and then trying to reconnect the various nerve endings etc. is just unfathomable! Not to mention that it requires a body to live and support it, plus various kinds of fluids, other cells for support (glial cells), blood and oxygen, etc.

The brain is meant to be with the body. I don't think its going to happen.

Answer 6

Yes, because the brain controls EVERYTHING about a person. The information inside a brain makes the you the type of person you are.

Answer 7

We have no reason to believe that personality is centered anywhere else other than in the brain. That is, the personality would stay with the brain, not with the body.

Answer 8

Yes. Your brain is you. Without the brain, you're just a collection of organic cells.

Answer 9

the regular memories would go with the brain.

there is a separate nervous system near the heart, most doctors don't like to talk about it, but it is there, and it would stay with the body, people are not sure exactly what it does.

if it were possible I would sign up for it, my body is tormentingly painful at times.

I bet it you would never figure out exactly what happens even if it were possible,

Answer 10

only in the means of a body.....the brain and the person would still think the same as the original..........funny you mentioned this but this is how scientist are thinking of prolonging life in the human...( for the important people).....they think why not clone a body and transplant the brain? and I think one day this will come true.... but not in my lifetime.

Answer 11

I would defiantly think so. The brain holds all of your memories, why would you be you just in a different body. That can achieve that just yet. But I believe one day they will.