BRAIN STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS

Temporal lobes These lobes contain auditory reception areas as well as certain areas for the
processing of visual information. Damage to the temporal lobe may affect sound discrimination,
recognition, and comprehension; music appreciation; voice recognition; and auditory or visual
memory storage.

Occipital lobes These lobes contain visual reception areas. Damage to this area could result in
blindness to all or part of the visual fi eld or defi cits in object recognition, visual scanning, visual
integration of symbols into wholes, and recall of visual imagery.

Parietal lobes These lobes contain reception areas for the sense of touch and for the sense of bodily
position. Damage to this area may result in defi cits in the sense of touch, disorganization, and
distorted self-perception.

Frontal lobes These lobes are integrally involved in ordering information and sorting out stimuli.
Concentration and attention, abstract-thinking ability, concept-formation ability, foresight, problem-
solving ability, and speech, as well as gross and fi ne motor ability, may be affected by damage to the
frontal lobes.

Thalamus The thalamus is a kind of communications relay station for all sensory information
transmitted to the cerebral cortex. Damage to the thalamus may result in altered states of arousal,
memory defects, speech deficits, apathy, and disorientation.

Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is involved in the regulation of bodily functions such as eating,
drinking, body temperature, sexual behavior, and emotion. It is sensitive to changes in environment
that call for a “fight or flight” response from the organism. Damage to it may elicit a variety of
symptoms ranging from uncontrolled eating or drinking to mild alterations of mood states.

Cerebellum Together with the pons (another brain site in the area of the brain referred to as the
hindbrain), the cerebellum is involved in the regulation of balance, breathing, and posture, among
other functions. Damage to the cerebellum may manifest as problems in fine motor control and
coordination.

Reticular formation In the core of the brain stem, the reticular formation contains fibers en route to
and from the cortex. Because stimulation to this area can cause a sleeping organism to awaken and
an awake organism to become even more alert, it is sometimes referred to as the reticular activating
system. Damage to this area can cause the organism to sleep for long periods of time.

Limbic system Composed of the amygdala, the cingulate cortex, the hippocampus, and the septal
areas of the brain, the limbic system is integral to the expression of emotions. Damage to this area
may profoundly affect emotional behavior.

Spinal cord Many reflexes necessary for survival (such as withdrawing from a hot surface) are carried
out at the level of the spinal cord. In addition to its role in reflex activity, the spinal cord is integral to
the coordination of motor movements. Spinal cord injuries may result in various degrees of paralysis
or other motor difficulties.
NEUROLOGICAL DEFICITS

acalculia Inability to perform arithmetic calculations acopia Inability to copy geometric designs

agnosia Deficit in recognizing sensory stimuli (for example, auditory agnosia is diffi culty in
recognizing auditory stimuli)

agraphia Deficit in writing ability

akinesia Deficit in motor movements

alexia Inability to read

amnesia Loss of memory

amusia Deficit in ability to produce or appreciate music

anomia Deficit associated with finding words to name things

anopia Deficit in sight

anosmia Deficit in sense of smell

aphasia Deficit in communication due to impaired speech or writing ability . Reitan-Indiana Aphasia
Screening Test (AST), The Neurosensory Center Comprehensive Examination of Aphasia (NCCEA)

apraxia Voluntary movement disorder in the absence of paralysis

ataxia Deficit in motor ability and muscular coordination

ORGANISITY- By Kurt Goldstein