PRE-MID ASSIGNMENT 1

TOPIC: LOBES OF BRAIN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

SUBMITTED TO: ZARA HAROON

SUBMITTED BY: SYEDA KHADEEJA IMRAN

STUDENT’S REGISTRATION NO: F18BPSY027

MAJOR: PSYCHOLOGY

MAJOR COURSE TITLE: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

COURSE CODE: APSY 305

SEMESTER: 3

SECTION: B

SESSION: 2018-2022

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 5th SEPTEMBER 2019

KINNAIRD COLLEGE FOR WOMEN, LAHORE

 Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Brain Page # 3

2. Structure of Lobes of Brain and their Functions Page # 4

3. Related Psychological Disorders (Case Study) Page # 6

4. Conclusion Page # 6
 Introduction to Brain
Memories, thoughts, experiences and dreams all come from the unique neural material called

brain. The soft jelly like substance is wrapped inside the hard skull to be safe from injuries. It

looks like a walnut and is very precious to human beings as it is a genetic hardwiring that carries

important functions. From crying, suckling to learning and performing motor functions with aid

of sending signals and synapses, it does all. Every human being is incomplete without it. It has a

grey matter inside and white matter outside with many other structures. (Eagleman, 2015)

The diagram below shows its different structures which manage the programming of brain.

(Alamy, n.d.)
 Structure of Lobes of Brain and their Functions

Brain has many lobes with different functions. Each lobe is responsible for performing different

functions of the body. The lobes have different structures and if the structures get damaged, their

functioning is affected. There are 4 lobes of brain. (Kalat, 2007)

1. Frontal Lobe

This lobe is located at front of brain. It is responsible for motor skills, reasoning, expressive

language and cognition. Near central sulcus, at back of frontal lobe, lies motor cortex. It is

responsible for receiving information from other lobes and carries body movements. Any

damage to it can cause changes to socialization, attention, sexual habits and risk taking.

2. Parietal Lobe

It is located in middle section of brain. It is responsible for processing tactile sensory information

like pain, touch and pressure. An important part of brain is also located in this lobe known as

somatosensory cortex which is responsible for processing body’s senses. Damage to this lobe

will reduce sensing.

3. Temporal Lobe

This lobe is located on bottom part of brain. It is also location of primary auditory cortex that is

responsible for language and interpreting sounds. Another structure hippocampus is also in the

temporal lobe due to which it is highly associated with formation of memories. Damage to this

lobe leads to problem like memory, language skills and speech perception.
 4. Occipital Lobe

It is located at back of brain and is related to information and interpreting visual stimuli. Primary

visual cortex receives and interprets information from retinas of eye, located in occipital lobe.

Damage to this lobe causes visual problems like difficulty in recognizing objects, inability to

identify colors and trouble in recognizing words. (Cherry, 2019)

(tumblr, n.d.)
 Related Psychological Disorders (Case Study)

Phineas Gage is a famous documented case of serious brain injury. He suffered major changes in

his personality after the accident during railroad construction where he used to work. An iron

explosion occurred due to which a piece of iron went through his skull at a high speed. It

damaged the frontal lobe and left cheek bone too. The doctor recorded emotional and mental

symptoms. Damage to the frontal lobe resulted complete loss of social inhibitions leading to

socially inappropriate behavior. His family reported dramatic changes in his personality.

This confirmed the previous research that the damage to the frontal lobe causes changes in

personality while other functions are not harmed. This case ensures that frontal lobes are

involved in personality. Mesulam (1986) told in his studies that damage to frontal lobe show

changes in everyday life but show little or no changes in neurological tests. WCST, TOL and

TEA were the tests used to examine brain damage. The score is low for these tests who suffer

from frontal lobe damage. Frontal lobe is the emotional control centre and home to personality,

so any damage to it causes damage to personality. (Frontal Lobe Damage: Case Study, 2017)

Conclusion

Human brain is about 1.5 kg. It consists billions of small cells. The major discussion in the

content revolves around the four lobes of brain which are important in functioning. Any harm to

any lobe causes problems in brain functioning as per each lobe is responsible for carrying

different functions. The case study we discussed above was related to damage to frontal lobe. As

it functions for personality, the victim experienced changes in personality. (Morris & Fillenz,

2008)
Exercise can treat depression and many other brain related problems. Physical activity is just like

a cognitive candy. Sleeping well makes you think well. Brain power is boosted by all these but

damage to lobes can be really dangerous as in some cases it is difficult to recover. Healthy

lifestyle keeps brain healthy, so try keeping yourself safe from brain injuries too and live a good

life allover. (Medina, 2014)

 References

Eagleman, D. (2015). The Brain. New York: Pantheon Books.

Cherry, K. (2019, 7, 15). A Guide to the Anatomy of the Brain. Retrieved from

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-anatomy-of-the-brain-2794895

Medina, J. (2014). Brain Rules. United States: Pear Press. Retrieved from

https://gum.co/brainrules

Essays, UK. (November 2018). Frontal Lobe Damage: Case Study. Retrieved from

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/case-study-on-function-of-the-frontal-lobe-

psychology-essay.php?vref=1

Morris, R., & Fillenz, M. (2008). Science of the Brain. Sherrington: British Neuroscience

Association. Retrieved from

http://brain.mcmaster.ca/BrainBee/Neuroscience.Science.of.the.Brain.pdf

Kalat, J. W. (2007). Biological Psychology. USA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.