Brain Functions

Overview of Brain Functions

The brain is the control center for all of the body’s actions and functions.

Brain injury affects who we are, the way we think, act and feel. It can change everything in a matter of seconds.

Frontal Lobe

The frontal lobe controls our behavior, personality, emotions, problem solving, reasoning, social functioning, voluntary movement and expressive language. Damage to the frontal lobe might cause behavioral changes, flat emotional affects, personality changes and inappropriate social behaviors

Parietal Lobe

The parietal lobe controls our sense of touch, spatial perception, visual perception differentiation. Parietal lobe damage might cause damage to ones sense of smell or touch, the ability to distinguish size, color, shape.

Occipital Lobe

The occipital lobe controls our primary vision such as the visual scene, light and dark, lines and borders. Damage to the occipital lobe might cause blindness or blurred vision, sensitivity to light, the inability to recognize words or movement and the inability to determine colors or shapes.

Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe controls our information processing, receptive language, hearing and memory. Damage to the temporal lobe might cause memory problems, difficulty in recognizing faces or understanding the spoken word, organizational difficulties or understanding language.

Cerebellum

The cerebellum controls the coordination of voluntary movement, balance and equilibrium. Damage to the cerebellum might cause one to fall and loose balance or coordination, loss of fine motor control, inability to walk or control movement, tremors, dizziness or slurred speech.

Brain Stem

The brain stem controls our vital functions, such as breathing, heart rate, reflexes, blood pressure, temperature, our ability to sleep and our level of awareness. Damage to the brain stem can result in difficulty with breathing, heart rate, arousal & consciousness, sleep & awake functions, attention and concentration.