HOW DAMAGE AFFECTS FUNCTION:
When certain areas of the brain are damaged, there will be different functional losses depending on which area or hemisphere it is.
CEREBRUM:
Left Hemisphere: Will affect the function of the right side of the body and has control over use of language. If left hemisphere is completely damaged a person will have no language ability.
Right Hemisphere: Will affect the function of the left side
FRONTAL LOBE:
Back: Weakness or paralysis on left or right
Middle: Apathy, inattentiveness, unmotivated, slow thinking and processing.
Middle of back on Left (Broca area): difficulty expressing thoughts-expressive aphasia
Front: Difficulty retaining information, decreased fluency of speech, apathy, delayed responses, lack of inhibitions-including socially inappropriate behavior
PARIETAL LOBE:
Front: Numbness, loss of sensation (pain, heat, cold, vibration, touch, and texture)
Middle: Cannot tell right side from left side, difficulty with calculations and writing
Non Dominant Lobe: coordination eg. combing hair, not able to understand how objects relate to each other, unable to draw or construct thing, get lost in their own neighborhood
TEMPORAL LOBE:
Left: Loss of memory for words and ability to understand language-Wernicke aphasia
Right: Loss of memory for sound and music- may not be able to sing
Seizures: Temporal lobe seizures may cause the experience of smelling a bad odor, being dazed, unaware of surroundings and make repeated movements, (like repeatedly smacking lips) or personality changes
OCCIPITAL LOBE:
If both sides are damaged people cannot recognize objects by sight-cortical blindness. They make make up descriptions of things and not realize they are un-real
Seizures: Seizures involving the occipital lobe may cause hallucinations
Many functions of the brain are by different areas of the brain working together, known as “networks”. When these networks are damaged the following can occur:
Agnosia: loss of ability to identify objects by one or more senses
Amnesia: Total or partial loss of ability to recall experiences or events
Aphasia: Partial or complete loss of ability to express or to understand spoken or written language
Dysarthria: Loss of ability to articulate words normally
CEREBELLUM:
Loss of coordination of motor movements- asynergia
Inability to judge distance and when to stop- dysmetria
Inability to perform rapid, alternating movements- adiadochokinesia
Movement tremors-intention tremors
Staggering, wide-base walking- ataxic gait
Tending towards falling
Weak muscles- hypotonia
Slurred speech- ataxic dysarthria
Abnormal eye movements- nystagmus
BRAIN STEM:
Headache
Confusion
Temporary loss of consciousness
Nausea & Vomiting
Fatigue & dizziness
Memory loss
Difficulty with speech
Sleep disturbances
Breathing difficulty- may require permanent ventilation
Locked-in syndrome- fully awake but cannot move or communicate except for eye movement and blinking
Paralysis
Coma
Hemorrhagic stroke
Death
HYPOTHALAMUS:
Diabetes Insipidus:- passing large amounts of urine die to vasopressin production interference
Insomnia- effects wake-sleep cycle
Fluctuations in body temperature
Appetite regulation disfunction
Uncontrolled hormone production
Sexual dysfunction
Uncontrolled blood pressure
Fatigue/weakness
Headache
Vision loss
Lack of interest in activities- anhedonia
Anxiety & mood swings