Functions and Structure of Neuroanatomy

1542 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Function of frontal lobe

Neuroanatomy Essay
The frontal lobe is an executive brain area that merges information from other brain systems into a meaningful plan of action. The frontal lobes help individuals anticipate behavior, make critical judgments, survey situations, and organize ideas. The frontal lobes are crucial for thinking because they help process information to make decisions about the future. The frontal lobes do not carry out this process independently of other structures in the brain. It is through the connection with other centers, like the sensory centers where information from the outside world is formed, memory centers where information is stored, and the motor centers where the final decision to act is taken. The frontal lobes allow individuals to reflect before responding to events, without this ability there is no way to plan for the future.
Cognitive Function Associated with Frontal Lobe
Romine and Reynolds (2005) state that frontal lobe functioning plays a central and pervasive role in human cognition, serving to organize and coordinate brain functioning and assisting individuals in goal-directed and self-regulatory behavior. The frontal lobe develops through late adolescence and into early adulthood, with the greatest period of development occurring between 6 and 8 years of age (Romine & Reynolds, 2005). The frontal lobe is actively involved in problem solving, organizing thoughts, planning behaviors, controlling selective attention and emotion, and shaping one’s personality.
Stuss (2011) suggests that there are at least four categories of frontal lobe functioning, (1) energization, (2) executive, (3) emotional/behavioral regulation, and (4) metacognition, each related to a different region within the frontal lobes. Damage to th...

... middle of paper ...

...ight away if he experiences any of the following danger signs, (a) headache that gets worse and does not go away, (b) weakness, numbness or decreased coordination, (c) repeated vomiting or nausea, or (d) slurred speech (CDC, 2003).
In closing, it is important to note that the frontal lobes help you with anticipating behavior, making critical judgments, surveying a situation, juggling ideas, and choosing which idea is most likely to have implications for the future. Dysfunction in the frontal lobes can affect the way we interact with and understand others. Playing sports is a common cause of frontal lobe injury, and the prevention of this injury needs further research. In Raphael’s case, a successful academic and football scholarship winner, multiple concussions injuring his frontal lobe could lead to a change in his personality, skill level, and overall well-being.

Show More
Related

  • Systemic Assessment In Systemic Assessment

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    14, 2002). Riley is currently experiencing physical changes in her body such as developing breast, getting her period, and hormonal fluctuations. Along with these other changes, her prefrontal cortex is still developing. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision-making, planning, and impulse control (Micucci, 2012). “The physical changes associated with puberty, in themselves, have little negative impact on the adolescent’s self-image, except in one instance: when adolescents are going through puberty around the same time they are experiencing other changes in life, such as changing schools”(Micucci, p. 18,

    Read More

  • Head Trauma In Athletes

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    Researchers and doctors had little information on the proper management and care of someone who sustained a concussion. There were 2,350 participants in this study, with each player being enrolled in any one of the Ivy League schools, University of Virginia, or University of Pittsburgh. Players who experienced a mild head injury during practice or a game were removed from the field to be examined and assessed for “cognitive and psychosocial dysfunction through the use of neuropsychological techniques and self-reported questionnaires up to four times after injury” (Barth, et al., 1989). In order for a player to be diagnosed with a mild head injury, he must have had either a head contact injury or a complete loss of consciousness that lasted under two minutes and displayed some sort of memory and/or attention deficient. The results of Barth’s study showed that there were 195 documented mild head injuries.

    Read More

  • What Is The Informative Speech About Concussions

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    “There are certain symptoms you would need to seek emergency medical attention right away for, for example repeated vomiting, loss of consciousness lasting for more than 30 seconds, slurred speech or changes in speech, and changes in physical coordination such as stumbling or falling.” (Mayo Clinic, n.d.)

    Read More

  • Cerebral Cortex Case Study

    598 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Frontal Lobe: Is the anterior part of cerebral hemisphere of the cerebrum of the brain, extending back to region called the central sulcus is a deep cleft on the upper surface of the brain. The frontal lobe is for intelligence which carries out high mental procedures such as thinking, judgment making, and forecasting. The human body uses their frontal lobe nearly every day. The frontal lobe

    Read More

  • Prefrontal Cortex

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    The prefrontal cortex (PFC) also controls behaviors that depend on context (Kalat 2004). For example, if my cell phone rings when I am at the mall or grocery store I would answer it. If it rings while I am at the movies or in class I wouldn't answer it. People with frontal lobe damage often exhibit inappropriate behaviors due to the inability to recognize context. Other studies indicate that the PFC is also responsible for regulating emotions and decision-making.

    Read More

  • Affects of Frontal Lobe Damage

    2599 Words  | 6 Pages

    Levine, B. & Stuss, D. (2002). Adult clinical neuropsychology: lessons from studies of      the frontal lobes. Annual Reviews Psychology, 401-433.

    Read More

  • The Teenage Brain: The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet

    1728 Words  | 4 Pages

    In a Ted Talk video by Adriana Galván “The teenage brain is really good at seeking out new experiences enjoying thrills and seeking out thrills.” That is because of the prefrontal cortex it is the part of the brain made for decision making and impulse control, because of that teens are more likely to seek out thrills than adults or children but that is because their lack of impulse control causes them to be reckless. In a Ted Talk video by Adriana Galván she mentions “that the brain matures and continues to do so” and “Your brain changes everyday and as you sit in this room your brain is reacting to my voice, to the person sitting next to you and your experiences ant the people you affiliate with shape the way your brain ultimately develops.” This means that although it is unsure if the brain keeps developing past the mid twenties it is a known fact that the brain constantly reacts and changes to the environment around it, which is completely different from the original belief of it over a decade ago. One example of the brains constant changes is in Romeo and Juliet when Friar Lawrence says “Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes” (Act 2 Scene 2). Showing how

    Read More

  • The Teen Brain Still Under Construction Summary

    652 Words  | 2 Pages

    Further research indicates that a person's intellectual capacity is at its greatest during these years. So much so that it could be compared to that of a full grown adult. The brain acts as a sponge soaking up all the information around it, learning as much as it can. “Adolescents and adults seem to engage different parts of their brain to different extents…” Thought the intellectual ability of a teen can match that of an adult does not mean that they think and interpret things the same. While performing tasks such as solving different problems and test, studies show that, when compared side by side, teens use different parts of the brain to different extents then the adult. This is due to the fact that the brain is still “Under Construction”. Therefore teen must use different parts of the brain for the same task as not all aspects of the brain are ready to handle some tasks, causing different results in different emotional and behavioral responses. This indicates the teen brain is still maturing

    Read More

  • Comparing Two Approaches to Cognitive Psychology

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ruff, R. (2003) A friendly critique of neuropsychology: facing the challenges of our future, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology. 18( 8), 847-864.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Phineas Gage

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    Look only at Gage’s case study for this essay, the frontal lobe and its position in the brain will be the area of focus in this essay. According to Weiten in the tenth edition of Psychology: Themes and Variation, when describing the frontal lobe region, he expounds in great

    Read More

  • The Brain: The Structure Of The Brain

    1495 Words  | 3 Pages

    The thalamus is like a bouncer or doorkeepers for messages that are being passed between the spinal cord and the cerebral hemisphere. The hypothalamus controls emotions and it also keeps the temperature of your body stable, it also controls crucial urges like eating and sleeping. The hippocampus directs memories and decides where they’re to be kept and make sure that they’re in the right sections of the cerebrum and recalls them when

    Read More

  • The Teen Brain: The Adolescent Brain

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    The adolescent brain is in many ways much different than the adult brain. It processes and learns things much different than the adult brain. For many years scientists have been studying the adolescent brain trying to find out what really happens as children grow older. Scientist have found that teenagers (adolescent) process actions without thinking about the possible outcomes. Based on the technology these days our brains have been able to learn and adapt to new challenges.

    Read More

  • Understanding the Brain: The Case of Phineas Cage

    1954 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1948 Phineas Gage, an American railroad construction foreman, was involved in a terrible accident during which a tamping iron was explosively forced upwards through his left cheek and exiting the top of his head (Harlow, 1948). He stunned his colleagues by not only surviving the event and swiftly regaining consciousness but by also by walking to a nearby cart. Gage regained many of his physical and mental abilities but remained altered in his personality to the extent that he was considered “gross, profane, coarse and vulgar” (Bigelow, 1851), having previously been considered diligent and pleasant. The curious case of this gentleman with extensive brain damage but nevertheless much retained function has fueled interest and research into the localization of function within the brain. Although the exact nature of Gage’s injuries has been subject to extensive debate (Ratiu et al., 2004), it is generally accepted that a large part of his left prefrontal cortex was damaged, including the medial and lateral orbito-frontal and the dorsolateral prefrontal regions.

    Read More

  • The Reliability of Memory

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wheeler, M. A., Stuss, D, t., & Tulving, D. (1997). Toward a theory of episodic memory: The frontal lobes and autonoetic consciousness: Psychological Bulletin, 121, 331-354

    Read More

  • Personality Synthesis Essay

    636 Words  | 2 Pages

    Personality is found in the part of your brain in the frontal lobe called the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is responsible for coordinating and adjusting complex behavior, impulse control, organization of emotions, focusing and organizing attention, complex planning, and personality. Scientist say that the prefrontal cortex

    Read More

More about Functions and Structure of Neuroanatomy

Open Document