Function	Observed problems
Frontal Lobe	awareness	inability to focus on task
	attention & concentration	impaired recent memory
	memory	difficulty learning new information
	cognition	problem solving difficulty
	motivation	inability to plan sequence of tasks
	judgment	changes in social behavior
	voluntary movement	loss of simple movement
	expressive language	inability to express language (Broca's Aphasia)
	memory for habits & motor activities	loss of flexibility in thinking
	emotional control & impulse control	mood changes (emotional lability)
	word associations	persistence of a single thought (perseveration)
	ability to follow instructions
	decision making
	personality	changes in personality
	assigns meanings to words we choose	loss of spontaneity
Parietal lobes	visual attention	inability to focus on visual attention
	awareness of spatial relationships
	touch	inability to name an object (Anomia)
	recognition of faces	difficulty in distinguishing right from left
	goal-directed voluntary movements	inability to locate the words for writing (Agraphia)
	manipulation of objects	problems with reading (Alexia)
	integration of different senses that allows for understanding a single concept	difficulty with drawing objects
		difficulty in doing mathematics (Dyscalculia)
		lack of awareness of certain body parts and/or surrounding space (Apraxia)
		inability to attend to more than one object at a time
		difficulties with eye and hand coordination
Occipital lobe	visual perception	defects in vision
	visual input	difficulty with locating objects in environment
		difficulty with identifying colors (Color Agnosia)
		production of hallucinations
		inaccurately seeing objects
	reading (perception & recognition of words)	inability to recognize words
		difficulties with reading and writing
	movement of eyes	inability to recognize the movement of an object (Movement Agnosia)
		difficulty in recognizing drawn objects
Temporal lobes	hearing, music, & receptive language	difficulty in understanding spoken words (Wernicke's Aphasia)
	comprehension of language
	memory acquisition	short-term memory loss
	memory for non-verbal events	disturbance with selective attention to what we hear & see
	information retrieval	interference with long term memory
	some visual perceptions	difficulty with identification of and visualization about objects
	categorizations of objects	inability to categorize objects
	expressed behavior	increased aggressive behavior, agitation, irritability & childish behavior
		increase or decrease in sexual behavior
		difficulty in recognizing faces (Prosopagnosia)
		right lobe damage can cause persistent talking
Cerebral cortex	higher cortical functions
Limbic system	emotions	loss of emotional control
	learning	loss of recent memory
	sense of smell	loss of sense of smell
Diencephalon
Thalamus	processing center of the cerebral cortex	altered level of consciousness
	sensory relay--coordinates & regulates all functional activity of the cortex by integrating all nerve inputs (except smell) to the cortex	loss of perception
	contributes to affectual expression
Hypothalamus	integrates the Autonomic Nervous System (body temperature & endocrine function)	hormonal imbalances
	parasympathetic function	inability to control temperature
	sympathetic function (flight or fight)	diabetes insipidus
	physical expressions of behavior
	feeding center
	pleasure center
Internal capsule	motor tracts	paralysis on the opposite side of the body
Reticular activating system	attention, eating, wakefulness, & arousal from sleep	altered level of consciousness
Brain Stem	breathing	decreased vital capacity in breathing
	heart rate	swallowing food & water (Dysphagia)
	swallowing	difficulty with organization & perception of environment
	reflexes to seeing & hearing (startle reflex)	problems with balance and movement
	controls sweating, blood pressure, digestion, temperature (Autonomic Nervous System)	dizziness & nausea
	affects level of alertness	sleeping difficulties (insomnia, sleep apnea)
	ability to sleep
	sense of balance (vestibular function)
Midbrain	nerve pathways of cerebral hemispheres
	auditory & visual reflex centers
	oculomotor nerve (III) eye movement
	trochlear nerve (IV) controls muscle that rotates eye down & out
Pons	respiratory center
	trigemenal nerve (V)--facial skin, tongue, teeth, mastication
	abducens nerve (VI) controls muscle that rotate eye outward
	facial nerve (VII) controls muscles of expression
	acoustic nerve (VIII) hearing & balance
Medulla oblongata	crossing of motor tracts
	cardiac center
	respiratory center
	vasomotor (nerves that control muscles of walls of blood vessels)
	cough, gag, swallow, & vomit
	glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) (pharynx & tongue)
	vagus (X) pharynx, larynx, heart, lungs & stomach
	accessory nerve (XI) rotation of head and shoulder
	hypoglossal (XII) intrinsic muscles of the tongue
Cerebellum	coordination of voluntary movement	loss of ability to coordinate fine movements
	balance & equilibrium	loss of ability to walk
	some memory for reflex motor acts	inability to reach out and grab objects
		tremors
		dizziness (vertigo)
		slurred speech
		inability to make rapid movements
		nystagmus
Right hemisphere	holistic processing of multi-sensory input
	visual spatial skills
	memory stored in auditory, visual, & spatial modes
	remembering non-verbal material
	color discrimination
Left hemisphere	analytic & sequential thinking
	language
	mathematics
	abstraction & reasoning
	ability to name objects & their attributes
	memory stored in language format

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