The Times Australia
The Times World News

.

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is missing 'quite a bit' of her brain. How can people survive and thrive after brain injury?

  • Written by Anthony Hannan, Professor and Head of Epigenetics and Neural Plasticity, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
CT brain scans

In a recent interview[1], Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke spoke about being able to live “completely normally” after two aneurysms – one in 2011 and one in 2013[2] – that caused brain injury. She went on to have two brain surgeries.

An aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel, often accompanied by severe headache or pain.

So how can people survive and thrive despite having, as Clarke put[3] it, “quite a bit missing” from their brain?

The key to understanding how brains can recover from trauma is that they are fantastically plastic – meaning our body’s supercomputer can reshape and remodel itself.

Read more: Growing up in a disadvantaged neighbourhood can change kids' brains – and their reactions[4]

Our fantastically plastic brains

Brains can adapt and change in incredible ways. Yours is doing it right now as you form new memories.

It’s not that the brain has evolved to deal with brain trauma or stroke or aneurysms; our ancestors normally died when that happened and may not have gone on to reproduce. In fact, we evolved very thick skulls to try to prevent brain trauma happening at all.

No, this neural plasticity[5] is a result of our brains evolving to be learning machines. They allow us to adapt to changing environments, to facilitate learning, memory and flexibility. This functionality also means the brain can adapt after certain injuries, finding new pathways to function.

A lot of organs wouldn’t recover at all after serious damage. But the brain keeps developing through life. At a microscopic level, you’re changing the brain to make new memories every day.

This extraordinary kilogram and a half of soft tissue sitting in your skull – with more power and capacity than even the most powerful supercomputer – has an incredible ability to adapt.

What does it mean to say parts of the brain are ‘missing’?

The brain needs a constant and steady supply[6] of oxygenated blood. When it is injured – for example by an aneurysm, sudden impact against the inside of the skull, stroke or surgery – oxygen supply can be interrupted.

Sometimes, a piece is surgically removed[7] or a region dies off due to lack of oxygen.

For example, sometimes a person with epilepsy doesn’t respond to drugs. Thanks to extraordinary brain imaging techniques, we can potentially work out the exact place in the brain the seizure is starting and remove part of the brain.

CT brain scans
CT scans can reveal ‘missing’ sections of brain due to injury or shrinkage. Shutterstock[8]

Read more: Brain stimulation can rewire and heal damaged neural connections, but it isn't clear how – research suggests personalization may be key to more effective therapies[9]

So how does the brain adapt after injury?

Your brain has about 100 billion neurons and over a trillion synapses (a junction between two neurons, across which an electrical impulse is transmitted). They are constantly rewiring themselves in response to new experiences, to store and retrieve information.

With brain injury, the changes can be bigger; you get certain rewiring around the injury. These synapses can rearrange themselves to work around the damaged part.

Axons (long, threadlike parts of a nerve cell that can conduct electrical impulses) form nerve fibres that get sent out to new spots in response to signals they are getting from the damaged area.

A diagram of components of brain tissue. Your brain has about 100 billion neurons. Shutterstock

But there’s another form of plasticity called neurogenesis[10]. This involves little pockets in the brain where new neurons continue to be born throughout life. And there’s evidence[11] that after brain injury these neural stem cells can be stimulated and migrate to the area of injury and make new neurons.

Neurorehabilitation might include physical rehabilitation and speech rehabilitation. And there is also research[12] into using drugs to enhance neuroplasticity. That might also apply to slower forms of degeneration such as in Parkinson’s or Huntington’s disease.

As Clarke notes, not everyone has a significant recovery after traumatic brain injury; a lot of people experience ongoing disability.

Many factors affect the way the brain responds to rehabilitation, including the extent and position of the brain injury, genetics, lifestyle and life history.

Some people also experience personality change after a traumatic brain injury.

The textbook case was Phineas Gage[13], who was involved in an accident in the 1840s that saw a metal rod thrust through his head, destroying a large part of his frontal lobe. He was able to survive and recover but his personality changed.

Read more: Post-COVID psychosis occurs in people with no prior history. The risk is low but episodes are frightening[14]

woman with long blonde hair Emilia Clarke in her Game of Thrones costume as Daenerys Targaryen, mother of dragons. HBO/AP[15]

What can you do to give your brain its best chance in life?

I want to end with a message about the five factors of brain health:

  1. diet: emerging evidence[16] shows a relationship between brain health and body health, including your gut microbiome, so ensuring your diet is broadly healthy is good for your brain, as well as the rest of your body

  2. stress: high levels of chronic stress can be bad for the brain[17]

  3. sleep: we know good sleep hygiene[18] is very important for a healthy brain

  4. cognitive or mental exercise[19]: this is uniquely beneficial for the brain and can potentially slow brain ageing

  5. physical exercise: physical activity[20] is as good for your brain as it is for your body.

Even though you can’t do anything about your genetics, you can change your lifestyle to give your brain its best chance and potentially slow down brain ageing.

The healthier your brain is, the more likely it will be able to rewire itself and heal if injured, and be resilient to the negative aspects of brain ageing, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, so these can be delayed or prevented.

Read more: What is it about the human brain that makes us smarter than other animals? New research gives intriguing answer[21]

References

  1. ^ interview (www.bbc.co.uk)
  2. ^ 2011 and one in 2013 (www.newyorker.com)
  3. ^ put (www.marieclaire.com.au)
  4. ^ Growing up in a disadvantaged neighbourhood can change kids' brains – and their reactions (theconversation.com)
  5. ^ neural plasticity (www.frontiersin.org)
  6. ^ supply (www.urmc.rochester.edu)
  7. ^ removed (www.wired.com)
  8. ^ Shutterstock (image.shutterstock.com)
  9. ^ Brain stimulation can rewire and heal damaged neural connections, but it isn't clear how – research suggests personalization may be key to more effective therapies (theconversation.com)
  10. ^ neurogenesis (qbi.uq.edu.au)
  11. ^ evidence (florey.edu.au)
  12. ^ research (florey.edu.au)
  13. ^ Phineas Gage (www.verywellmind.com)
  14. ^ Post-COVID psychosis occurs in people with no prior history. The risk is low but episodes are frightening (theconversation.com)
  15. ^ HBO/AP (photos-cdn.aap.com.au)
  16. ^ evidence (florey.edu.au)
  17. ^ bad for the brain (florey.edu.au)
  18. ^ sleep hygiene (florey.edu.au)
  19. ^ exercise (florey.edu.au)
  20. ^ physical activity (florey.edu.au)
  21. ^ What is it about the human brain that makes us smarter than other animals? New research gives intriguing answer (theconversation.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/game-of-thrones-star-emilia-clarke-is-missing-quite-a-bit-of-her-brain-how-can-people-survive-and-thrive-after-brain-injury-187285

Times Magazine

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an online presence that reflects your brand, engages your audience, and drives results. For local businesses in the Blue Mountains, a well-designed website a...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beauty On Saturday, September 6th, history will be made as the International Polo Tour (IPT), a sports leader headquartered here in South Florida...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data analytics processes. The sheer volume and complexity of data can be overwhelming, often leading to bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Enter the innovative da...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right choice keeps your team productive, your data safe, and your budget predictable. The wrong choice shows up as slow tickets, surprise bills, and risky sh...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in the Sutherland Shire who may not have the financial means to pay for private legal assistance, legal aid ensures that everyone has access to representa...

Watercolor vs. Oil vs. Digital: Which Medium Fits Your Pet's Personality?

When it comes to immortalizing your pet’s unique personality in art, choosing the right medium is essential. Each artistic medium, whether watercolor, oil, or digital, has distinct qualities that can bring out the spirit of your furry friend in dif...

The Times Features

NSW has a new fashion sector strategy – but a sustainable industry needs a federally legislated response

The New South Wales government recently announced the launch of the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy, 2025–28[1]. The strategy, developed in partnership with the Australian Fashion ...

From Garden to Gift: Why Roses Make the Perfect Present

Think back to the last time you gave or received flowers. Chances are, roses were part of the bunch, or maybe they were the whole bunch.   Roses tend to leave an impression. Even ...

Do I have insomnia? 5 reasons why you might not

Even a single night of sleep trouble can feel distressing and lonely. You toss and turn, stare at the ceiling, and wonder how you’ll cope tomorrow. No wonder many people star...

Wedding Photography Trends You Need to Know (Before You Regret Your Album)

Your wedding album should be a timeless keepsake, not something you cringe at years later. Trends may come and go, but choosing the right wedding photography approach ensures your ...

Can you say no to your doctor using an AI scribe?

Doctors’ offices were once private. But increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) scribes (also known as digital scribes) are listening in. These tools can record and trans...

There’s a new vaccine for pneumococcal disease in Australia. Here’s what to know

The Australian government announced last week there’s a new vaccine[1] for pneumococcal disease on the National Immunisation Program for all children. This vaccine replaces pr...