Abbie Ottosen

My Stroke of Insight

Differences in the 4 sources:

Book: An informal type of book, but it filled with lots of facts and personal stories. Told from a
first-person perspective, which gives a more personal connection with the book. The information
is explained thoroughly, and with precision that only a stroke survivor could give.
Video: She uses examples and personal stories to present her information. Alludes that the right
and left brain are what define personality.
Article by Kaufman: Recounts Taylor’s experience, and gives other facts along with the quotes
that by Taylor. Explains why certain experiences felt by Taylor were unusual. Describes the
effects of the book and Taylor’s claims of “nirvana” experience.
Article by Corballis: A formal article. It focused on the sides of the brain and the effects that the
“dominant” one can have on the overall body’s success and function.
Bullet points: Provide information from an American point of view about the symptoms, causes,
and statistics of strokes.

Position Statement Support for Position Support Against Position

People cannot properly recall
an incident that occurred in
the midst of a medical crisis.
People who have suffered in
traumatic events have
unreliable memories, and
“are not always accurate” in
what they remember
(International Society for
Traumatic Stress Studies
2019). Sometimes the
experiences that people
believe they have is actually
a false memory or could even
be influenced by other
people. Also “people can
make up stories to fill in
memory gap” (International
Society for Traumatic Stress
Studies 2019). In an
immediate crisis, the “victim
think[s] clearly enough to
find an escape route—at the
People who have suffered a
traumatic event are not
guaranteed to forget the
incident. In fact, “if a child is
raised in a loving home with
good child development,
they are more likely to
process a traumatic event --
such a natural disaster, war
combat or abuse – better”
(Science Daily 2016).
Though it is common for
people to forget events in a
medical crisis, that is not for
certain. Sometimes people in
a medical crisis could not
just the opposite, and
“remember some aspects of
the experience in exquisitely
painful detail” (Time 2014).

A person’s cognitive ability
can be defined by left or
right brain dominance.
cost, though, of processes
like memory-making”
(Smithsonian 2013).
Therefore, people in a
medical crisis cannot
properly recall the incident
due to outside influences and
false memories being
common, and the brain not
being able to create
memories and survive
simultaneously.
The right brain is the side
associated with creativity and
emotions, while the left brain
is associated with logic and
organization. A person who
is considered right brained
“thought processes are
sometimes viewed as
irregular and roundabout”
due to their random thinking
(PsychologyToday 2012). A
left brained person is more
logical, and problem solves
more often. In fact, modern
education is focused on left
brained thinking, meaning
that educators tend to focus
on methods of strengthening
the left brain to make a
person smarter. Therefore,
people who are more
dominant in one side of the
brain can learn more
effectively, and have
different personalities based
on this difference.
The experience differs from
person to person, but what is
true is that people can recall
an incident from a medical
crisis.
The left brain/right brain
theory is outdated, and
therefore incorrect. One side
of the brain does not
determine one’s cognitive
ability, in fact the two sides
working together allows
cognitive ability to reach its
peak: “research has shown
that abilities in subjects such
as math are strongest when
both halves of the brain work
together” (VeryWellMind
2018). Though the two sides
of the brain do exist, one side
does not dominate the other:
“But people don’t tend to
have a stronger left- or right-
sided brain network. It seems
to be determined more
connection by connection”
(VeryWellMind 2018).
People also tend to be “more
or less equal on both sides of
the brain” and aren’t defined
by their “sides”
(PsychologyToday 2012). In
the end, there is no left or
right brain dominance, so
cognitive ability cannot be
defined by it.
A person can change aspects
of their personality by
focusing on more right or left
brained tasks.
People who have mental
illness or brain trauma
should donate their brains to
science upon their death.
As the brain is divided into As mentioned before, the left
two halves, the right and left and brain idea is a myth, and
brain, different personality one side does not control
traits dominate from each one’s character. In a study by
side. If a person is more the University of Utah, it was
“left-brained” then they are discovered that “brain scans
more analytical and logical. demonstrate that activity is
“Getting in touch with your similar on both sides of the
‘right brain’ will help you brain regardless of one’s
see- and draw- things personality” (Harvard Health
differently” (Harvard Health 2017). If the left and right
2017). This statement in brain theory were true, then
itself offers the opportunity by focusing on one side of
to focus on the right brain to the brain, one should have
become more creative, which activity on that side.
means that doing the same However, this is not the case,
with the left brain is just as meaning that one cannot
possible. focus on side of the brain to
change their personality.
People with brain disorders People should not donate
like Parkinson’s Disease, their brains because of
down syndrome, autism, or religious concern. In fact,
even traumatic brain disorder “many religions declare
are suffering in treatment due organ donation to be a
to a lack in brain donations. laudable act” (Global
According to the National Bioethics 2014). Also,
Institute of Mental Health, donating brains is an
“there are vastly inadequate expensive process. “It costs
resources to meet the banks roughly $10,000 per
research demand” of these year to store a brain” which
illnesses (NIH 2017). comes from donations and
Without donations, scientists taxes (The Atlantic 2018).
cannot determine potential People with mental disorders
causes of mental illness or or trauma already have
treatments for trauma. An enough on their plate and
example of the benefit of should not have to worry
donation is that “scientists about their family donating
have used postmortem brain their brain because brain
tissue to understand a genetic donation must occur within
risk factor for schizophrenia 24 hours of death. This
and to show that military removes the option for
members exposed to blast families to see their deceased
injury exhibit a distinct love ones for quite some
pattern of scarring” (NIH time after death- which is a
2017). Had there not been crime in itself. Therefore,
the donation of a people with brain disorders

The medical community
should revisit its policy on
how to treat stroke survivors.
schizophrenic brain, or should not donate their
military member’s brain, brains to science.
scientists could not
determine this information.
Therefore, it is extremely
important for people
struggling with brain
disorders or trauma to donate
their brains to prevent more
people from suffering
without treatment or known
cause.
In todays modern world of The medical community does
technology, people are not need to change policies
surviving their first stroke on how to treat stroke
more than ever before. survivors because the effects
However, they survive “with of a stroke cannot be
disabilities which might have eliminated. “Victims who
been minimized if they had survive a stroke are typically
received the kind of early, left with a range of
intensive physical disabilities” (Aurora
rehabilitation that researchers Healthcare 2017). The
find can improve function standard practice is for
and reduce long-term rehabilitation to begin one to
disability” (Johns Hopkins two days after the patient is
Medicine 2019). If the stable. The medical
medical community made it community already
mandatory that stroke acknowledges that
survivors endure physical rehabilitation is essential to
rehabilitation that could the treatment of stroke
eliminate these risks. survivors- why should they
Rehabilitation is “critical in have to revisit their policy?
stroke recovery” in the early
stages (Johns Hopkins
Medicine 2019). Researchers
and doctors all over are
pushing for change in the
medical community that
would help stroke recovery
immensely.
Sources:
1. http://www.istss.org/public-resources/what-is-childhood-trauma/remembering-childhood-
trauma.aspx
2. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-cant-accident-victims-remember-
what-happened-to-them-21942918/
3. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161209081154.htm
4. http://time.com/3625414/rape-trauma-brain-memory/
5. https://www.verywellmind.com/left-brain-vs-right-brain-2795005
6. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/not-born-yesterday/201210/are-you-left-or-
right-brain-dominant
7. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/right-brainleft-brain-right-2017082512222
8. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2017/the-nih-neurobiobank-addressing-
the-urgent-need-for-brain-donation.shtml
9. https://globalbioethics.org/2014/11/20/why-do-so-few-people-donate-organs/
10. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/grandmother-brain-
donation/557510/
11. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_body/new-hope-for-
stroke-recovery
12. https://www.aurorahealthcare.org/patients-visitors/blog/how-rehabilitation-can-help-
after-stroke
13.