The 24-year-old saw a doctor because of nausea. The brain scan showed something that shocked the doctors. It turned out that the Chinese woman does not have a cerebellum. It’s a miracle that a woman is even alive.
The cerebellum is an extremely important structure. Despite its small size – about 10% of the entire brain – it contains as much as half of the neurons. One of its main functions is to support movement – it coordinates muscle tension, teaches motor behavior and allows you to maintain balance. There are known cases where, as a result of damage to the cerebellum, some of its functions were taken over by the remaining parts of the brain. So far, only eight live births have been documented without this part of the brain completely. It’s amazing that a woman only found out about it at the age of 24!
The woman has some developmental defects – she learned to speak only in the age of six. To date, she has difficulty speaking, but research has shown that she fully understands speech. As expected, there were also problems with the locomotor system. She started to walk on her own when she was seven years old, and in her adult life she uses crutches. Doctors were stunned, however, by her overall good health. The Chinese woman is happily married and gave birth to a completely healthy daughter.
The woman saw a neurologist because she was experiencing nausea and migraines. X-rays revealed her condition. The place where the cerebellum should be is filled with cerebrospinal fluid. It has a normal composition, but its pressure is far too high, which is probably the cause of the symptoms. The woman will undergo therapy to lower her blood pressure.
Based on: http://www.iflscience.com/