When Brains Go Bad

Understanding the Brain's Subsystems

The brain consists of various subsystems responsible for different functions like perception, thinking, and feeling. Studying abnormal brains through cases of brain damage provides insights into how these subsystems contribute to our normal experiences. For example, individuals with right parietal damage may experience Alien Hand Syndrome, where they disown their own limb, highlighting the importance of ownership in our experiences. Similarly, patients with brain damage may lose a sense of agency, indicating the role of agency in understanding one's actions. Language, too, is composed of different modules, which can be affected selectively in cases of brain pathology, further emphasizing the complexity of language and its multiple underlying systems.