Brazilian Man With Spear in Head: Done With Underwater Fishing

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a Brazilian man who suffered a diving accident resulting in a spear lodged in his head. Participants explore the implications of such an injury, including potential effects on personality and future activities, as well as referencing similar cases.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the man is likely done with underwater fishing due to the spear injury, suggesting it would hinder his ability to engage in various activities.
  • One participant references a similar case from a Discovery Channel episode where a man survived a knife injury to the head, implying that recovery is possible.
  • Another participant discusses the potential neurological implications of the spear's entry into the brain, referencing the case of Phineas Gage and suggesting possible personality changes due to right frontal lobe injury.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the extent of the injury, with one suggesting that the spear may have missed critical brain areas, while another raises concerns about risks of bleeding or infection.
  • There is a debate about whether the man's aversion to underwater fishing is a personality change or simply a decision based on his experience.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the implications of the injury, with no consensus on the extent of the damage or the psychological effects. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the long-term consequences of the injury.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in understanding the injury's impact, including the need for further medical evaluation and the uncertainty surrounding the specifics of the spear's trajectory and its effects on brain function.

Ivan Seeking
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5he5maBJhjnx6v5XMKAQT9UcI_rjg

SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian man who came to a hospital with a spear stuck in his head after a diving accident says he is done with underwater fishing...

...Abreu told Globo TV on Wednesday that he felt "a sharp pain"...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5d2mCkhRUjwl0pEAXfoSKpIc-TgD97A3AJO0
 
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Ivan Seeking said:
[SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian man who came to a hospital with a spear stuck in his head after a diving accident says he is done with underwater fishing...

Of course he's done with underwater fishing! He'll never be able to in and out of the boat with that thing sticking out of his head.

Come to think of it, there are several professions he'll no longer be able to do. Caving, driving a cab, turning around in narrow hallways. Anything indoors...
 
The fish strike back! :biggrin:
 
There was another case like this on the discovery channel where they rushed a man stabbed in the head with a knife 6-7 inches deep. He was ok later on.
 
When did Homer move to Brazil.
 
I looked at the video and all the scans and it seems that on the left (entry) side, the spear was limited to the eye socket and didn't injure the left hemisphere. However it looks that the tip of the spear did get into his right frontal lobe quite a way.

Starting with the famous case of Phineas Gage:

http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/phineas-gage

it's known that right frontal lobe injuries can cause personality alterations. There's is reason to be leary that more than his sense of smell might be affected as time goes on.
 
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zoobyshoe said:
There's is reason to be leary that more than his sense of smell might be affected as time goes on.
Yes, we can already see personality changes. For instance, he now hates underwater fishing. The mind is a strange thing.
 
DaveC426913 said:
Yes, we can already see personality changes. For instance, he now hates underwater fishing. The mind is a strange thing.

He doesn't hate it, Dave. He's merely done with it, that is: he feels he's already extracted the full measure of experience it has to offer.
 
zoobyshoe said:
I looked at the video and all the scans and it seems that on the left (entry) side, the spear was limited to the eye socket and didn't injure the left hemisphere. However it looks that the tip of the spear did get into his right frontal lobe quite a way.

Not necessarily. The plane that CT scan in the stories about it is in is in line with the sinuses, so pretty far anterior, and the spear seems angled in a way that it could have just missed the brain. Though, it is at a level where the olfactory nerves enter the olfactory bulb, so that's probably why he's lost his sense of smell.

Not that he's out of danger either. There's still risk of bleeding or infection.
 
  • #10
Moonbear said:
Not that he's out of danger either. There's still risk of bleeding or infection.
Or mice moving in.