There are a range of injuries and symptoms that can arise
from concussions and other forms of brain damage in Boston. Concussion
treatment often depends on what injuries or deficits have arisen as a result of
the injury. Brain damage in Boston can be either diffuse or focal in nature. Focal
signs indicate damage in a particular part of the brain, such as a lesion left
in the wake of a stroke. Focal signs are of particular interest in neurology;
much of what is now known about the function of the lobes of the cerebral
cortex was learned by observing what goes wrong when certain areas are damaged.
The effects of a focal brain lesion can vary substantially depending on what
area of the brain is affected.
Frontal Lobe Signs in Neurology
The frontal lobes of the brain are associated with executive
function, which includes planning, reasoning, motivation, and impulse control.
They are also associated with some motor functions. Frontal lobe signs
associated with brain damage or injury often include either executive function
deficits or motor deficits. Some well-known frontal lobe signs include:
·
Unsteady gait
·
Hypertonia, or abnormal muscular rigidity
·
The paralysis of a limb on one side of the body,
opposite to the side of the brain that was injured
·
Paralysis of head and eye movements
·
Expressive aphasia, also called Broca’s aphasia,
which is an inability to express oneself with language despite retaining
language comprehension abilities
·
Seizures
·
Personality changes, such as abnormal
impulsivity
·
Loss of smell
·
Frontal release signs, or the reappearance of
primitive reflexes
Parietal Lobe Signs in Neurology
The parietal lobes integrate sensory information, including
navigation and sense of space. Parietal lobe signs in neurology may include:
·
Impaired sense of touch
·
Impaired proprioception, awareness of the body’s
location and movement in space
·
Sensory or visual neglect syndromes, in which
part of the body’s visual field, proprioception, or other sense is impaired
·
Loss of ability to read, write, or perform
mathematical operations
·
Astereognosia, loss of the ability to recognize
objects by touch
Temporal Lobe Signs in Neurology
Temporal lobe signs in neurology often involve deficits in
memory or auditory processing. Such deficits often include:
·
Cortical deafness, loss of ability to hear
despite the ears themselves being intact
·
Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears
·
Auditory hallucinations
·
Loss of ability to comprehend language
(Wernicke’s aphasia) or music (amusia)
·
Memory disturbances
·
Amnesia
·
Complex hallucinations
·
Complex partial seizures
Occipital Lobe Signs in Neurology
Occipital lobe signs in Boston generally produce deficits in
visual capabilities. The occipital lobe is functionally divided into several
areas that process different aspects of vision. Signs of occipital injury often
include:
·
Cortical blindness, a total loss of vision even
though the eyes themselves are functioning normally
·
Anton’s syndrome, a total loss of vision of
which the person is not aware
·
Loss of vision on one side of the visual field
in both eyes (hemianopsia)
·
Inability to recognize faces, objects, or other
visual information (visual agnosias)
·
Visual illusions
·
Visual hallucinations
Limbic Signs in Neurology
The limbic system is a complex set of brain structures
located in the midbrain, below the cortex. This includes the hypothalamus,
hippocampus, amygdala, and other structures. This region of the brain is
associated with memory and with emotional regulation. Limbic signs in Boston
may manifest as:
·
Retrograde amnesia, a loss or confusion of
long-term memory prior to the injurious event
·
Anterograde amnesia, an inability to form new
memories
·
Loss of emotion
·
Loss of olfactory function
·
Loss of decision-making ability
Cerebellar Signs in Neurology
Signs of cerebellar injury or dysfunction in Boston
generally affect the sense of balance and coordination. This may include:
·
Ataxia, impaired movement of the limbs or torso
·
Inability to coordinate fine motor activities
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