| MadSci Network: Neuroscience |
Dear Dr. Fralick, As I understand it, unusual feelings of deja vou are often produced in a syndrome called temporal lobe epilepsy, in which neurons fire abnormally in the temporal lobe. A good book describing these sensations is "Seized: My life in epilepsy" by Teresa McLean; other books on epilepsy would also provide you with some information. You describe your injury as relating to the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This is a portion of the hypothalamus; in human brains, unlike the brains of rats and other experimental animals, it occupies an extremely small part of the hypothalamus. In rats, it is known to produce 24-hr circadian rhythms in sleep, appetite, temperature, and other functions. I have written a paper on the anatomy of the human hypothalamus that might steer you in the right direction "A three dimensional reconstruction of the human hypothalamus" Brain Research Bulletin vol. 35, pp. 323-327, 1994. I could send you a copy if you can't find it in a medical library. Since it is so small, I would imagine that any brain injury involving this nucleus would likely also impinge upon neighboring structures that connect to the temporal lobe and perhaps could explain your experiences. If you would need more information, my e-mail is jyoung@fac.howard.edu. Best of luck!
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Neuroscience.