The Brain

• Major parts of the brain:

  • Hindbrain
  • Midbrain
  • Forebrain
• Hindbrain includes:

  • Pons: coordinates eye movements, chewing, and facial expressions; works with the medulla coordinating signals with this area to rest of the brain
  • Cerebellum: coordinates voluntary movement, motor control, and body balance
  • Medulla oblongata: controls unconscious bodily functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure
• Midbrain includes:

  • Reticular System: important in alertness, sleep/wake cycle, arousal, and attention
• Forebrain includes:

  • Cerebrum: divided into two hemispheres, responsible for conscious action
  • Cerebral cortex: outer layer of the cerebrum, responsible for higher cognitive functions, voluntary movement, emotions, and personality
  • Thalamus: filters information from the senses (except smell) and directs sensory information to the appropriate sensory area of the cerebral cortex for processing
  • Hypothalamus: regulates hormones dealing with basic needs' behaviors like hunger, sleep, temperature control, and sex drive
• Contralateral division of labour:

  • Right hemisphere: receives sensory information from the left side of the body, controls movement in the left side of the body, controls non-verbal activities and spatial tasks
  • Left hemisphere: receives sensory information from the right side of the body, controls movement in the right side of the body, controls verbal functions and reasoning/analyzing/interpreting information
  • Corpus collosum: thick band of fibers for communication between the hemispheres
• Lobes of the Cerebral cortex:

  • Frontal lobe: located at the front of the brain, functions include reasoning, emotions, and problem solving
  • Temporal lobe: located at the sides of the brain, functions include interpreting, organizing, and remembering information
  • Parietal lobe: located at the top of the brain, functions include perception of taste, sensations, pain, temperature, touch, and spatial awareness
  • Occipital lobe: located at the back of the brain, functions include perception of vision and color recognition
• • Corpus Callosum: communication between the left and right hemispheres
• Parts of the brain and their functions:

  • Reticular formation: channels relevant sensory information to the cerebral cortex, regulates the sleep-wake cycle
  • Pons: involved in arousal, sleep, breathing, and muscle movement coordination
  • Medulla Oblongata: relays info from spinal cord to the brain, regulates vital involuntary bodily functions
  • Thalamus: relay system for sensory messages from all senses going to the CNS, coordinates shift in consciousness
  • Hypothalamus: maintains homeostasis, regulates hormone release and influences behaviors associated with basic biological needs
• Primary areas in the brain:

  • Primary motor cortex: located in the frontal lobe, generates neural impulses for voluntary movement
  • Broca’s area: located in the left frontal lobe, involved in speech production
  • Prefrontal cortex: located at the front of the frontal lobe, important in decision making and inhibiting extreme social behaviors
  • Primary somatosensory cortex: located in the parietal lobe, registers and processes sensations throughout the body and skin
  • Primary visual cortex: located in the occipital lobe, involved in visual perception and color recognition
• • Primary auditory cortex: registers and processes auditory information
• Other important brain areas:

  • Wernicke’s area: located inside the left temporal lobe, responsible for accessing words stored in memory and speech comprehension
  • Limbic system: includes amygdala and hippocampus, located inside the temporal lobe, involved in memory and emotional responses
  • Cerebellum: located in the hindbrain, responsible for balance, motor memory, and muscle coordination
• Cerebrum and Cerebral cortex (outer layer):

  • Right hemisphere:
  • Receives sensory information from the left side of the body
  • Controls movement in the left side of the body
  • Controls non-verbal activities such as drawing and jigsaw puzzles
  • Responsible for spatial tasks like recognising faces and following maps
  • Left hemisphere:
  • Receives sensory information from the right side of the body
  • Controls movement in the right side of the body
  • Controls verbal functions like speaking, reading, and writing
  • Responsible for reasoning, analyzing, and interpreting information
• Corpus collosum:

  • Thick band of fibres
  • Facilitates communication between the hemispheres
• Coordinates  voluntary movement – motor control and body balance – coordination, precision


  Cerebellum (a.k.a ‘little brain’)
• Cerebellum


  coordinates  voluntary movement – motor control and body balance – coordination, precision

  
• Problems that may occur after damaging the frontal lobe:

  1. Sequencing
  2. Decision Making
  3. Attention
  4. Personatility
  5. Problem Solving
  6. Verbal Expressions
  7. Spontaneity
  8. Emotional Issues
  9. Movement Initiation
• Problems that may occur after damaging the Temporal lobe:

  1. Speaking Difficulties
  2. Selective Attention
  3. Sexuality
  4. Inhibitations
  5. Aggression
  6. Identification
  7. Categorization
  8. Facial Recognition
  9. Locating Objects
• Problems that may occur after damaging the Parietal lobe:

  1. Object Classification
  2. Tactile Processing
  3. Academic Skills Fall
  4. Cognitive ability
  5. Directional Understanding
  6. Hand-Eye Coordination
  7. Spacial Recognition
• Problems that may occur after damaging the Occipital lobe:

  1. Loss of vision
  2. Visual Field Decreases
  3. Locating objects
  4. Colour Identification
  5. Hallucinations
  6. Word Blindness
  7. Movement Perception Difficulties
  8. Reading/Writing
  9. Visual Perception
• The Cerebellum controls:

  • Gross & fine Motor skills
  • Voluntary Motor Skills
  • Balance
  • Equilibrium
  • Coordination
  • Postural Controls
  • Eye Movement
• The Brain Stem Controls:

  • Body Temperature
  • Breathing
  • Balance
  • Movement
  • Swallowing
• Brain stem damage may look like.

  Nausea or Vertigo