Does the brain need a heart to live?

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her209

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
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Assume someone got decapitated and doctors were able to connect the two main arteries going to the brain to an artificial circulatory system that pumped oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood. Breathing is not necessary as it handled by artificial lungs that perform the CO2-O2 exchange.

Would a person in such a state continue to live or would the brain freak out?
 
Evadman

Evadman

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Feb 18, 2001
30,990
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Considering the brain controls everything from the neck down, it would probably not like the disconnect.
 
M

mxyzptlk

Golden Member
Apr 18, 2008
1,888
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some crazy russians kept a dog head alive in a similar fashion to what you described. Very primitive and didn't last long and might not even have been real depending on who you ask..

I think it's possible, but not with current tech.

 
I

imported_Champ

Golden Member
Mar 25, 2008
1,608
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i think the brain would continue to function, but you would have to connect all of the small arteries and viens in the neck to have a functioning head
 
irishScott

irishScott

Lifer
Oct 10, 2006
21,562
3
0
For a serious response, if you could somehow emulate all of the responses/signals the brain gets from the body you could keep it alive and conscious in a jar.
 
fuzzybabybunny

fuzzybabybunny

Moderator<br>Digital & Video Cameras
Moderator
Jan 2, 2006
10,455
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Probably not for long. The other organs and glands of the body, which would no longer be there, probably release chemicals that maintain both physical and mental stability. You've got the blood and the oxygen, but you don't have everything that's supposed to be in the blood.
 
R

randay

Lifer
May 30, 2006
11,018
216
106
ron popeil has already invented the technology to keep human heads alive in jars.
 
Kadarin

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
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81
Originally posted by: Fayd
Originally posted by: frostedflakes
The Russians are light-years ahead of you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSrIkUXwsNk

(btw, is this fake or real?)
Click to expand...

fake.
Click to expand...

Supposedly fake. If it were real, they would have zoomed out to show more of the apparatus.

Though it is possible that the device was actually tested and the experiment was actually done. However, the head movements would be different due to the neck muscles not being able to work (no body to leverage with).

Very creepy, though. *shudder*
 
C

Clair de Lune

Banned
Sep 24, 2008
762
1
0
Originally posted by: Fayd
Originally posted by: frostedflakes
The Russians are light-years ahead of you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSrIkUXwsNk

(btw, is this fake or real?)
Click to expand...

fake.
Click to expand...

Fake as hell. When the dog was just blinking, it looked believable for a moment. But when the dog started to lick his nose, that's when you see how BS this is. The muscle that controls the tongue would not move so well with the severed head from neck down.

It's a cheesy hide-the-dog-under-the-table trick and sedate the crap out of it.
 
frostedflakes

frostedflakes

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2005
7,925
1
81
Yeah the movement does look a little odd, it seems like the flinching wouldn't be possible w/out having the neck muscles attached to the body.
 
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