Brain Defects

A week ago last Saturday, 48 Hours profiled the case of Stephen Stanko — a man who murdered two people — and raped another. His crimes were cruel and vicious. During Stanko’s trial, the prosecutor said Stanko was a man without any remorse for his actions. I would agree.

The defense team however believed that Stanko was insane — perhaps mentally ill — so they hired Dr. Thomas H. Sachy, founder of Georgia Pain and Behavioral Medicine, to test Stanko to see if he had a brain defect. Dr. Sachy scanned Stanko’s brain using a PET scan machine.

“Mr. Stanko’s brain showed decreased function in the medial orbital frontal lobes of his brain,” Dr. Sachy tells Roberts.

Looking at images of Stanko’s brain function, Dr. Sachy explained that one region of the brain directly above the eyes and behind the eyebrows is less functional as compared to a normal brain.

Asked why this is significant, Sachy says, “Well, it’s very significant, because it is this area of the brain that essentially makes us human.” (CBS 48 Hours)

I was fairly certain the jury wouldn’t buy the defense rationale presented by Dr. Sachy and in the end, I was correct. Stephen Stanko was held responsible for his crimes and sentenced to death.

BUT I believe in brain defects. I believe in Dr. Sachy’s theory. I think he is definitely on to something! He is a pioneer in medicine. One day we will understand the brain – -but today we are still in the dark ages of understanding it.

Like every other organ in the body, our brain can malfunction, not form properly, get damaged or have defects. However, when people are judging someone for a crime — unless the person is practically incoherent and proven to be so prior to a crime, we as a society don’t buy the defense of insanity.

I find that troubling. I believe in illnesses of the brain that allow people to function normally from an outward appearance (i.e. go through life’s motions) — but have serious defects in feelings, emotions, and attachments.

Furthermore, I was watching the Discovery Health Channel last night and I caught the end of Medical Incredible. It was about a woman who was in a diagnosed “vegetative state” and came back enough to be able to communicate by pointing her fingers onto letters to spell words. It was bone chilling.

One scientist tested her brain activity and found she was thinking through MRI scans. She recognized photos of her family and her dog prior to her accident. They could tell by the areas of her brain that lit up!! This doctor then put her into rehabilitation to see if they could get her functioning again — and they did. Now the woman who was in that vegetative state communicates about the hell it was. She says they treated her body but neglected her mind. She still can’t walk or talk — but is mentally 100% there! She’s even written a book, publishes to a website and e-mails daily now!! If only I could remember the woman’s name or the doctor who pioneered her study. I can’t seem to find anything about it on the web.

Here is another study ongoing now just like it.

Imagine the implications of this on the Terri Schiavo case! I believe Terri Schiavo was mentally there to some degree– but she was not able to control her responses.

I think this all points to the fact that we know very little about our brain.

One day in the future of our world, scientists will point to us and say we in the 21st century lived in the dark ages of brain science. We killed those who were truly sick and ill like stephen Stanko — and we also killed those who weren’t ill but were paralyzed physically yet totally mentally viable (Schiavo).

This is the stuff of nightmares!