Brain Injury: How the brain functions

To help you better understand your loved one’s injury, print this out this page and ask members of the health care team to mark this picture to show you the location of your loved one’s injury or the areas of the brain that are affected. This article will also show you the anatomy of the brain.

Areas of the brain and what they do

Frontal Lobe Controls

• Movement
• Thinking initiation
• Reasoning (judgment)
• Behavior (emotions)
• Memory
• Speaking

Parietal Lobe Controls

• Knowing right from left
• Sensation
• Reading
• Understanding
spatial relationships

Temporal Lobe Controls

• Understanding language
• Behavior
• Memory
• Hearing

Occipital Lobe Controls

• Vision
• Color blindness

Cerebellum Controls

• Balance
• Coordination
• Fine muscle control

Brain Stem Controls

• Breathing
• Blood pressure
• Heartbeat
• Swallowing
• Alertness/sleep
• Body temperature
• Digestion

Injured brain

 

Traumatic Brain Injury Booklet CoverBrain Injury: A guide for family and friends

Table of Contents

What is a Brain Injury?
How Bad Is It?
How the Brain Functions
Common Problems During Early Recovery
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Understanding Coma
How Does an Injured Brain Heal?
How You Can Help With Recovery
• Where Will the Journey Go From Here?
How Will I Ever Get Through This?
Where to Go for Help
• Books for Families Coping With Brain Injury


Dr. Matthew E. Bain
Dr. Matthew E. Bain

Dr. Matthew Bain, MD received his medical degree in neurology from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is a practicing neurologist in Indianapolis, Indiana.