The story of a person suffering a head injury and then turning into a person with an opposite personality seems to be common in horror movies and comedies. How does science view that?
Have you ever watched a horror movie, in which the main character from a gentle person suddenly got a head injury and showed an opposite personality, like a serial killer? Or someone who suddenly became a genius after… hitting their head hard somewhere? Ancient Western philosophy also talked about “changing souls” after a trauma…
In an article just published in The Conversation, neuroscientist Leanne Rowlands from Bangor University (Wales, UK), analyzed the truth about this issue from the perspective of modern science.
Can a brain injury turn you into a different person?
The answer is absolutely possible but that is the matter of the brain, not the soul. And the way the brain changes is very different from the way it changes in the movies.
The profile of Phineas Gage – the young, smart, talented, ethical business foreman of construction – has been well described in the literature since 1848 as a typical example. After a work accident that caused a stick to pierce the skull, trauma to the prefrontal cortex, Gage has completely changed. The polite boy turns into a rude, aggressive and irresponsible guy. The manager even had to ask female colleagues not to be alone with him for fear of harassment.
Another 2000 profile caused even more controversy in the scientific world: a respected 40-year-old teacher suddenly became a child molester. Because of his previous good deeds, the victims even tried to ignore and hide until he was discovered abusing his own daughter. This trend of child abuse disappeared after doctors discovered a tumor that was compressing the brain and removed it.
According to Dr. Leanne Rowlands, the above cases all have in common is damage to the prefrontal cortex , especially the “orbitofrontal cortex “. When this area has a role in managing behavior, regulating emotions and controlling the owner to respond appropriately to events happening in life.
The dangers of losing control over behavior may be obvious, but disordered emotional regulation is just as dangerous.
Difficulty regulating their emotions not only makes them rude, but also makes them more vulnerable. Many brain injury survivors suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, and social isolation. And this in turn worsens the ability to regulate behavior.
In addition, the ability to respond to all events in life is no longer normal, causing the patient’s worldview to become a mess. They lose the ability to behave according to normal standards.
According to Dr. Rowlands, this does not mean that we accept a traumatized person suddenly acting like a criminal or conversely becoming depressed, lonely. They need help immediately after the injury. These are tests for visible physical damage as well as psycho-psychological treatment to help them learn to take control of their behavior, emotions and social life again.