There’s no other organ in the body more intricate and vital than the brain. It calls all the shots in every part of our body. It runs in the background, keeping us alive, and, in the foreground as the home of our cognizance. This is why, clearly, when a person goes through a traumatic brain injury, there is so much concern.
At Dakota Home Care, we understand that being familiar with the signs of a traumatic brain injury in relation to the area in the brain where the trauma took place can help families better understand and make more informed decisions regarding their loved one’s care.
- Occipital Lobe: Our sight is housed in the occipital lobe. The results of an occipital lobe injury might include vision problems, such as blurred vision or blind spots, hallucinations, visual illusions, the inability to recognize the movement of an object, or challenges with reading and writing.
- Frontal Lobe: The frontal lobe is home to an individual’s personality, intelligence, and feelings. It is the region of the brain that manages concentration, makes judgments, and solves problems. It also controls body movement, including speech and writing. The effects of a frontal lobe injury can include changes and/or problems with the core functions controlled by the frontal lobe plus more subtle manifestations of the core functionality, like a lack of inhibition, an impaired sense of smell, vision loss, persistence of a single thought, and mood swings.
- Cerebellum: Our movement, coordination and balance are controlled by the cerebellum. A cerebellum injury can cause an individual to lose the ability to do things that require coordination, such as walking, talking, or reaching out to grab something. It can also cause tremors, dizziness, and/or slurred speech.
- Parietal Lobe: The parietal lobe controls a variety of functions, including our comprehension of language, our sense of touch, spatial awareness, visual perceptions, and sense of time. When this region of the brain is injured, people might experience difficulty reading, the inability to draw or name objects, challenges with distinguishing left from right, difficulty with math, and an unawareness of or neglect of certain body parts. They will also often have problems with eye-hand coordination.
- Brain Stem: The brain stem regulates the basic mechanisms of life, including heart rate, respiration, digestion, and blood pressure. It is the home of the startle response and reflex emotions, sleeping and waking cycles, and our ability to sneeze, cough, vomit, and swallow. Brain stem injury can lead to issues with all of these basic mechanisms, including impacting speech, due to a decreased capacity for breathing.
- Temporal Lobe: Functions like our language comprehension, memory, hearing, learning, and sequencing are controlled by the temporal lobe. It lets us recognize faces and generates emotions. The effects of a temporal lobe injury can include problems with key functions as well as changes in sexual behavior, persistent talking (specifically with right lobe damage) and elevated aggression.
Although it’s made up of a variety of parts, the brain functions as a whole. Difficulties with behaviors or functions can cascade, as can accomplishments attained through rehabilitation. If you have a loved one experiencing the signs of a traumatic brain injury and could use help with care due to the behavioral or physiological effects of the person’s trauma, Dakota Home Care can help.
Contact our in-home caregiving team to schedule your free care consultation online or at (877) 691-0015 to learn more about our services in Bismarck, Fargo and Mandan.