Is the cranium completely sealed?
July 31, 2007 1:08 PM Subscribe
Is the brain completely surrounded by bone? Is the cranium a completely contained unit that opens only into the spinal column?
Is there any place on the human head where you can access the brain without piercing bone?
I've been reading about trepanation lately. Too much about it, really.
Is there any place on the human head where you can access the brain without piercing bone?
I've been reading about trepanation lately. Too much about it, really.
Best answer: The optic nerves behind your eyes run directly to your brain, as do the olfactory ("smell") nerves in your sinuses.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:13 PM on July 31, 2007
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:13 PM on July 31, 2007
Best answer: You can get in through the eyes and nose. But don't!
posted by tiny crocodile at 1:15 PM on July 31, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by tiny crocodile at 1:15 PM on July 31, 2007 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The Egyptians, during the mummification process, would scramble the brains of the deceased and remove them, all through the nostrils.
posted by Green With You at 1:20 PM on July 31, 2007
posted by Green With You at 1:20 PM on July 31, 2007
Best answer: Ear. as well. I had thought the palate was another way in, but this site says no. It looks like there are some little openings here and there.
posted by jquinby at 1:21 PM on July 31, 2007
posted by jquinby at 1:21 PM on July 31, 2007
Best answer: And the ears. Don't forget about those.
And I think if you go in arthroscopically, you can get into the brain by going in from just behind the point of the jaw, near the TM joint. I've seen a video of samples being taken from some sort of cranial tissue that way.
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:25 PM on July 31, 2007
And I think if you go in arthroscopically, you can get into the brain by going in from just behind the point of the jaw, near the TM joint. I've seen a video of samples being taken from some sort of cranial tissue that way.
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:25 PM on July 31, 2007
Best answer: The skull has lots of small openings called foramina which allow blood vessels, nerves, and the spinal cord to go in and out. Wikipedia has an ok list. Googling "netter skull" brings up decent images, like this one which is blatantly stolen from netter. Similarly "skull gray's".
posted by a robot made out of meat at 1:37 PM on July 31, 2007
posted by a robot made out of meat at 1:37 PM on July 31, 2007
Best answer: Also, properly speaking the retina is a piece of your brain. The nasal nerves that people are talking about go through the cribiform palate, but I don't know if you'd count that.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 1:39 PM on July 31, 2007
posted by a robot made out of meat at 1:39 PM on July 31, 2007
If you read about trepanation surely you would know that they went in with the ice pick behind the eyes?
posted by fire&wings at 1:50 PM on July 31, 2007
posted by fire&wings at 1:50 PM on July 31, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! These are all good answers. Looks like the hole people get when they're trepanned is nothing special.
i mean, it's certainly special, but not biologically speaking.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 1:57 PM on July 31, 2007
i mean, it's certainly special, but not biologically speaking.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 1:57 PM on July 31, 2007
Best answer: I came here to say that LOBOTOMIES, not trepanations fire&wings, can be done between the eye and the eye orbit.
And seeing Baby_Balrog's last comments, I have this to add: If the trepanation hole is not different from the natural holes, why are trepanations still done to relive intracranial pressure?
I don't have the answer, but at least two people in my family have had pieces of skull removed to save their lives, one because of meningitis, the other after a motorcycle crash.
Proponents of recreational or spiritual trepanation claim hole makes them better persons. It must relieve some pressure, I have no idea if this improves anyones lives, both my relatives had the holes covered with metal plaques as soon as they were out of danger.
posted by Dataphage at 2:54 PM on July 31, 2007
And seeing Baby_Balrog's last comments, I have this to add: If the trepanation hole is not different from the natural holes, why are trepanations still done to relive intracranial pressure?
I don't have the answer, but at least two people in my family have had pieces of skull removed to save their lives, one because of meningitis, the other after a motorcycle crash.
Proponents of recreational or spiritual trepanation claim hole makes them better persons. It must relieve some pressure, I have no idea if this improves anyones lives, both my relatives had the holes covered with metal plaques as soon as they were out of danger.
posted by Dataphage at 2:54 PM on July 31, 2007
Best answer: ... why are trepanations still done to relive intracranial pressure?
Because the naturally-occuring foramina in the skull are filled with tissue like nerves and blood vessels and can't be used to regulate intercranial pressure.
posted by jesourie at 4:42 PM on July 31, 2007
Because the naturally-occuring foramina in the skull are filled with tissue like nerves and blood vessels and can't be used to regulate intercranial pressure.
posted by jesourie at 4:42 PM on July 31, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by tastybrains at 1:11 PM on July 31, 2007