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I read on CBS that it was confirmed that the bullet went from back to front, the whole distance of her left hemishpere... found this from another article that's an interesting read:
A back-to-front bullet track, as Giffords's appears to be, would have more devastating consequences the closer it is to the neck. A path near the top of the head would cause both less and different damage. Giffords's wound appears to be more like the latter than the former.
The evidence for that is her ability to respond to the spoken request to display a certain number of fingers. Many parts of the brain are involved in that task, but language comprehension resides mostly in what's known as Wernicke's area, which is part of the temporal lobe near the temple and ear.
The bullet appears to have passed above that area. It may have entered high enough to also miss the visual cortex, which ends about halfway up the back of the head. Asked whether Giffords's vision was impaired, her neurosurgeon at University Medical Center in Tucson, Michael Lemole, said it hadn't been tested but "the hope is that it won't be affected."
A trajectory going back to front at that level on the left side of the head would pass through through the parietal and frontal lobes, large regions involved in complicated mental actions.
The bullet would hit the left visual association area at the back of the head first. That region is responsible for determining the meaning of what one sees. Damage can result in so-called neglect syndromes in which a person is unaware of objects on one side. The person may fail to eat food on the right side of a plate, and in severe cases may not even recognize a right arm or leg as his or her own.
That region is also involved in comprehension of symbols, such as the numbers and hands on a clock. A person also may not be able to put in correct order a series of pictures, such as ones showing a full plate of cookies, a boy next to a half-empty plate and an empty plate.
Farther forward, the bullet would hit the somatic sensory cortex, which is responsible for comprehending touch. A person with damage there may not be able to identify that a quarter placed in the hand is a coin.
Forward of that is the motor cortex, which contains brain cells that control specific muscles. Which parts of the body - toes, leg, arm, finger, face - may be permanently weakened or paralyzed depends on exactly where the bullet passes. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, so any disability would be on the right.
Forward of that are areas responsible for planning complex movements, such as walking, and for controlling eye movements. Closest to the forehead is a section of the brain responsible for mood, self-control and creative thought.
Giffords is on a ventillator and sedated most of the time to minimize stress to her brain. The extent of her disabilities isn't known. But the fact she can follow directions is extremely encouraging, several experts said.
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