Basic Overview Of Brain Structure And Function

Basic Overview Of Brain Structure And Function

Note: I will most likely add more to this section over time to as I discover more... but I'll always keep it fairly basic so that absolutely all parents of the autistic can follow these discussions!

The human brain had two hemispheres (left and right) joined by a mass of fibers in the middle, known as the corpus callosum. This mass of fibers, the corpus callosum, allowed the two hemispheres to speak to one another. The two hemispheres of the human brain were further subdivided into regions called “lobes”. Specifically, the brain had four lobes:

Frontal Lobe

Temporal Lobe

Parietal Lobe

Occipital Lobe

Location

most anterior, below forehead)

Location

side of head, above the ears

Location

at the back and top of the head

Location

most posterior, back of the head

Function

motor activity

motor planning and execution

activity in response to environment

memory as it related to habits and other motor activities

olfactory cortex

language production

higher functioning (i.e., concept of self, imagination, etc.)

controls emotional response

assigns meaning to words (i.e., word associations)

Function

auditory and olfactory processing (hearing and smell)

memory acquisition

emotion

understanding of language

voice recognition

face recognition

categorization of objects

some visual perception

ability to distinguish between truth and a lie

Function

somatosensory processing

spatial processing

visual attention

touch perception

manipulation of objects

goal directed movement

3 dimension identification

integration of sensory information that allows for the understanding of single concepts (integration of the parts into the whole)

Function

visual processing

Such were the basic functions within these major sections of the brain. The following provided a basic view of what happened if damage occurred to one of these areas.

If Frontal Lobe damaged - results in

paralysis

difficulty problem solving and sequencing

inability to produce/express language

lack of flexibility or spontaneity

persistence in thoughts (i.e., obsessive – compulsive)

inability to focus (attention deficit)

changes in social behavior

variability in mood/emotions

If Temporal Lobe damaged - results in

selective attention in terms of sight and sound

difficulty understanding spoken word

issues with interest in sexual behavior

short term memory loss and interference with long term memory

emotional issues (i.e., increased aggression)

difficulty in face recognition

categorization issues

persistent talking if damage to right lobe

If Parietal Lobe damaged – results in

inability to recognize self

inability to attend to more than one object

lack of awareness of body parts and/or surroundings (somatosensory issues)

difficulty in focusing visual attention

reading difficulty

difficulty with spatial processing (i.e., math)

difficulty with eye-hand coordination and/or drawing of objects

difficulty differentiating left from right

difficulty locating words in terms of writing

difficulty with associations (i.e., naming of objects)

If Occipital Lobe damaged - results in

problems with vision in terms of

identifying colors

locating of objects in one’s environment

illusions – including hallucinations

inability to recognize words (issues with reading/ writing, recognition of symbols/drawings etc.)

difficulty with objects in motion

Although I would not attempt to cover all parts of the brain, there were a few other key areas that, in my opinion, also helped to explain so much.

Other Key Parts To The Brain That Reside Outside Of The 4 Lobes Include:

Amygdale (part of “limbic system)	Involved in the processing of emotions (perceiving emotions in others)
Basal Ganglia	Involved in the regulation of movement and the learning of skills, controlled intensity of mental activity, timekeeper, conscious and subconscious task sequencing
Brain Stem	Located in the upper, back neck area and responsible for “life functions” including heart rate, breathing, digestion, swallowing, reflexes to sight/sound, regulation of body temperature via sweating (autonomic nervous system), blood pressure, alertness levels, sleep, balance (vestibular issues)
Cerebellum	Motor coordination and motor learning, some memory for motor reflex functions. Also known to be involved in coordination of higher executive functions, language and emotions, tracking of moving objects
Corpus Callosum	Major link between the left and right hemisphere - allowed the two hemispheres to communicate
Hippocampus (part of the “limbic system)	Involved in long term memory formation (damage here would prevent one from making “new memories”)
Hypothalamus	Maintained body temperature, etc.
Medulla	One of many parts of the brain stem involved in control of “life functions” of breathing, heart rate, etc.
Midbrain	Visuomotor functions, visual reflexes, auditory relays, motor coordination
Pons	Auditory and vestibular functions (balance), sensory and motor. Area of the brainstem between the medulla and the midbrain, that linked the medulla and the thalamus!
Spinal Cord	Input-output of sensory information to/from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (everything else outside of central nervous system)
Thalamus	Acted as a “gateway”. Sent information to specific parts of the cerebrum and controlled information flow to cerebral cortex (the 4 lobes). A gateway between sensory (except olfactory) or motor neurons in the peripheral nervous system (anything outside the brain and spinal cord) and the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
CNS = central nervous system	Included the brain and spinal cord only
PNS = peripheral nervous system	Included those parts of the nervous system not included in the CNS.

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