You know this movie plot: a person sustains a blow to the head, then becomes a better person. Do pathological changes in brain and behavior sometimes lead to behavioral improvement in real life? A report by Jim Giles (2004) on Tommy McHugh’s case is thought provoking.

598

McHugh (1949–2012), a heroin addict, committed multiple serious crimes and spent a great deal of time in jail. Later he had a cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding into the brain) from an aneurysm. The bleeding was repaired surgically with a metal clip on the leaking artery. After he recovered from the injury, McHugh’s personality changed dramatically. He took up painting, which he had never done before, and became a successful artist.

McHugh’s injury-induced brain changes appear to have been beneficial, but the exact nature of his brain injury has not been identified. The metal clip in his brain precluded the use of MRI. Aspects of his cognitive behavior suggest that he may have had frontal lobe damage.

The phenomenon in which an individual acquires a new skill after an injury is called acquired savant syndrome. There are other reports of people who have developed new musical or artistic talents after their injuries (Miller et al., 2000). Corrigan and colleagues (2012) propose that allied savant skills can be acquired by depressing inhibitory systems in the brain so that new skill strategies can be activated. In experiments, for example, depressing participants’ left hemispheres with TMS briefly improved mathematical skills, which are subserved by the right hemisphere.

The general idea of artificially manipulating the brain for the better is controversial (Heinz et al., 2012). Influencing brain function through a strategy loosely described as cognitive enhancement enlists current knowledge of pharmacology, brain plasticity, brain stimulation, neurogenetics, and other specialties to boost brain functioning. Of course, people already use drugs to alter brain function, and the basis of many therapies is to enhance brain function. Psychosurgical techniques such as frontal lobotomy were based on the general idea that brain function could be improved. As yet, however, evidence is lacking that cognitive enhancement for the average person is better than old-fashioned but readily available methods: learning, practice, and a healthy lifestyle.