It's been far too long since I've updated this blog with news of the brain, but I've been meaning to note the interesting "Trepanation for dementia" post I came across on BoingBoing awhile back, and so, late but better than never: The story of Russian neurophysiologist Yuri Moskalenko, who is looking into trepanation as a possible treatment for dementia. After studying 15 people who had undergone trepanation for head injuries, he concluded that the trepanated had a "cranial compliance ("a measure of the elasticity of the brain's vascular system") [that] was around 20 per cent higher than the average for their age". Because a reduced flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid impairs the delivery of oxygen to the brain and waste away from it, he believes that a 4-square-centimeter hole could increase the blood flow and could therefore be an effective treatment for dementia.
To read the full story, see Like a hole in the head: The return of trepanation.
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