Final answer:
The term 'split brain' refers to a surgical procedure used to treat intractable epilepsy by severing the corpus callosum, preventing seizures from spreading between the brain's hemispheres and influencing patients' abilities to process and verbalize sensory information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'split brain' refers to a surgical procedure that involves severing the corpus callosum. This procedure is sometimes used as a treatment for patients with intractable epilepsy, which is a severe form of epilepsy that does not respond to medication. During this procedure, the communication between the two hemispheres of the brain is cut, leading to a condition known as split-brain. This intervention helps prevent seizures from spreading from one hemisphere to the other, potentially reducing the frequency and severity of seizures.
Patients with split-brain may experience unique neurological effects due to the disconnection of the brain's hemispheres. For instance, if an object is presented to the left visual field, they may not be able to verbally identify the object because the visual information is processed in the nonverbal right hemisphere. Interestingly, although split-brain patients might not be able to verbally name the object, they can often select it with their left hand, which is controlled by the right hemisphere. The inability to verbalize information that is processed in the right hemisphere is tied to the notion that the left hemisphere is predominantly responsible for language function.