Brain Injury
Information

• The Brain
• Glossary of Brain Injury Terms
• Hospital Rehabilitation Staff
• Families Coping With Brain Injury
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Communication After Brain Injury
• Prevention is Better than Cure

Every Brain Injury is Unique

Each person with a brain injury has unique physical, intellectual or social rehabilitation problems. The term ‘Cognition’ refers to the workings of the mind through which we are able to make sense of the world.

Frontal Lobe

The frontal lobe is the area of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions. These include:

• Problem solving
• Spontaneity
• Memory
• Language
• Motivation
• Judgment
• Impulse control
• Social and sexual behavior

Parietal Lobe

The parietal lobe plays a role in our sensations of touch, smell, and taste. It also processes:

• Sensory input
• Spatial awareness
• Eye-hand co-ordination
• Arm movement

The parietal lobe also contains a specialised region called Wernicke’s area that is responsible for matching written words with the sound of spoken speech.

Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe plays a role in emotions, and is also responsible for:

• Smelling
• Tasting
• Perception
• Memory
• Understanding music
• Aggressiveness
• Sexual behavior

The temporal lobe also contains the language area of the brain.

Occipital Lobe

The occipital lobe is at the rear of the brain and controls vision and recognition.

Limbic Lobe

The limbic lobe is located deep in the brain, and makes up the limbic system, which regulates emotion and memory.