Each part of the human brain controls a different part of an individual’s physical makeup, intelligence and personality. That’s why trying to determine what part of a person’s brain has been damaged in an accident is so important . The location of an injury often tells doctors and therapists what to expect for the future.
If you love someone who has a brain injury, it’s important to learn about what you can expect depending on what part of their brain has suffered the most injury.
Frontal lobe injuries
The frontal lobe is the part of the brain at the very front. It might be the most injured region if someone hits their dashboard or window in a car accident, for example.
People with frontal lobe injuries may develop problems with their attention span. They may also have difficulty regulating their emotions, exhibit poor judgment and planning, develop personality changes and have changes in their speech.
Parietal lobe damage
The parietal lobe is near the crown of your head. Someone injured there may have problems with the five senses in general. They may also develop problems with depth perception or even lose their ability to recognize shapes and colors.
Temporal lobe damage
Your temporal lobe is on either side of your head and deep in the brain. Temporal lobe damage can interfere with someone’s ability to remember things, their hearing or their ability to process language in general.
Occipital lobe damage
The occipital lobe is fairly small and rests in the back of the brain. However, a hard blow there could seriously damage someone’s ability to see or process what they see.
Cerebellum damage
The cerebellum is a bit underneath the rest of the brain, just above the brain stem. It controls a person’s balance and coordination.
Brain stem damage
Damage to the brain stem itself may be the most devastating injury, because it controls all the body’s automatic functions, like breathing and consciousness. Someone with a damaged brain stem may never regain consciousness or could require permanent assistance breathing.
If a close relative has suffered brain damage in an accident, the best thing that you can do is educate yourself about the type of injury he or she has and what to expect for the future. The more you know, the less confusing everything around you is likely to seem as you move forward.
Source: Brain Injury Association of America, “Functions of the Brain,” accessed Feb. 21, 2018