Skills and Functions

Associated with the

Lobes of the Brain
Frontal Lobe Controls
n

Attention
Decision making
n Emotional, social,
sexual control
n Expressive language
n Verbal expression
n Judgement
n Spontaneity
n Problem solving
n Motivation
n Motor integration
n Voluntary movement
n Sequencing
n

Temporal Lobe Controls

n

Behaviour (aggressive)
Face recognition
n Short-term memory
n Receptive language
n Language comprehension
n Musical awareness
n Selective attention
n Object categorisation
n Locating objects
n

Parietal Lobe controls

n

Academic skills
Awareness of body parts
n Eye-hand coordination
n Tactile perception (touch)
n Spatial orientation
n Object naming
n Right / left organisation
n Visual attention
n

Occipital Lobe Controls

n

Reading (the perception and

recognition of printed words)
n Visual perception
n Visual processing

Cerebellum Controls
n

Balance and equilibrium

Eye movement
n Coordination of voluntary
movement
n Gross and fine motor
coordination
n Postural control
n

Brain Stem Controls

n

Arousal and sleep regulation

Balance and movement
n Autonomic nervous system
(heart rate, breathing,
temperature, etc.)
n Level of alertness
n Swallowing food and fluid
n

Acquired Brain Injury Ireland

National Office
43 Northumberland Ave
Dun Laoghaire
Co. Dublin
T: 01 280 4164
E: info@abiireland.ie

ASPIRING TO EXCELLENCE

CARF Accredited
Rehabilitation Services

www.abiireland.ie
Charity No. CHY 14289 A Limited Company Reg. 334659
Acquired Brain Injury Ireland is a business name of Peter Bradley Foundation Limited.

Changes Observed After Brain Injury

Changes after Frontal Lobe Damage
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Loss of spontaneity
Loss of verbal expression
Difficulty sequencing
Poor initiation of voluntary movements
Perseveration
Difficulty with attention
Inflexible thinking
Personality changes
Difficulty with problem-solving
Uncontrollable emotional, social and sexual
behavioural changes

Changes after Occipital Lobe Damage

n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Difficulty reading and writing

Inability to recognise object movement
Vision defects ( visual field cuts )
Word blindness
Difficulty identifying colours
Hallucinations and visual distortions
Difficulty visually locating objects
Poor processing of visual information

Changes after Temporal Lobe Damage

n
n
n
n

Increased aggressive behaviour

Short-term memory loss
Difficulty understanding spoken words
Difficulty recognising faces and visually
locating objects
n Persistent talking
n Disturbance of selective attention
n Change in sexuality
n Difficulty identifying and categorising
objects

Changes after Parietal Lobe Damage

n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Right/left confusion
Difficulty with academic skills
Impaired processing of tactile senses (touch)
Difficulty naming objects
Inability to focus visual attention
Difficulty with eye-hand coordination
Impaired spatial orientation
Lack of awareness of body parts

Changes after Brain Stem Damage

n
n
n
n

Dizziness and nausea (vertigo)

Difficulty swallowing food and fluid
Impaired arousal and sleep regulation
Impaired regulation of temperature, heart
rate and respiration
n Difficulty with balance and movement

Changes after Cerebellum Damage

n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Inability to make rapid movements

Impaired gross and fine motor coordination
Loss of the ability to walk
Tremors and /or dizziness
Impaired control of eye movements
Slurred speech
Poor postural control