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If a split-brain patient was asked to copy a spatial pattern using blocks, he would be able to copy it:

A. Only with the left hand
B. Only with the right hand
C. Successfully with both hands
D. Unable to copy it

1 Answer

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Final answer:

A split-brain patient can copy a spatial pattern using blocks successfully with both hands, as the required motor skills and spatial processing are preserved in each hemisphere despite impaired interhemispheric communication.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a split-brain patient was asked to copy a spatial pattern using blocks, they would be able to copy it successfully with both hands. This is because the motor skills required to manipulate blocks are retained in both hemispheres of the brain. Despite having their corpus callosum (the structure that connects the two hemispheres) severed to treat conditions like severe epilepsy, these patients demonstrate the ability to perform tasks independently with each hand, even though interhemispheric communication is impaired.

In a split-brain patient, even though the verbal identification of objects may be impaired when presented to the left visual field (due to the inability of the right hemisphere, which receives this input, to communicate with the speech centers in the left hemisphere), manual skills are preserved. Thus, using blocks as a non-verbal, spatial task, a split-brain patient can utilize either hand to reconstruct a pattern, reflecting the retained motor coordination and spatial processing capabilities of each hemisphere.

User Phil Street
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