Brain trauma has signs and indications of too much sleepiness, inattention, complexity concentrating, messed up memory, erroneous judgment, depression, irritability, expressive outbursts, troubled sleep, weakened libido, having trouble switching between two tasks, and slowed thinking.
It could be a difficult task to sort out true brain damage from the simple effects of outside stressors including, migraine headaches, pain in the body, prescriptions, depression, and anxiety.
With the help of neuropsychological testing, the coverage and the severity of cognitive neurologic dysfunction can be measured. To restrict dysfunction to specific regions of the brain Neuropsychologists use their own type of physical examination and/or tests.
In drive, mood, personality, decision making, interpersonal behavior, attention, foresight, and controlling of improper behavior for example, the frontal lobes play an important role.
An “executive function” is the capability to plan appropriately and perform those plans. Beneath the frontal lobes frontal lobe injury connected with injury to the olfactory bulbs. Patients may notice distorted or diminished sense of smell.
Even if their neuropsychological testing was reasonably normal, a current study (Varney 1993) showed that 92% of brain damaged patients suffering anosmia (loss of smell) had issues with maintaining employment.
Noticeably, the effect on the patient’s family, the effects of brain injury on the patient may be equaled or even exceeded. Brain injuries are known for causing severe stressors in family and interpersonal relationships.
In most cases, due to the patient’s incapability to adjust to the brain injury, symptoms of traumatic brain injury may diminish over time as the brain heals however; at times the signs and indications worsen.
For this and other reasons, following brain injury, it is normal for psychological issues to take place and worsen.
Signs and indications checklist
Subsequent to “brain injury”, a wide range of symptoms can come about. In large part, where the brain has been damaged, is where the nature of the signs and indications relie on. A check list of potential physical and cognitive symptoms below of which can take place from injury to specific areas of the brain:
Frontal Lobe
The forehead, that is responsible for the control of voluntary movements of the skeletal muscles in the body. Pre-frontal lobe is concerned with behavior, learning, judgment, and personality.
- Failure to carry out simple movement of a selected of body parts (Paralysis).
- Failure to program a series of multifaceted movements required to finished multi-stepped tasks, for instance making coffee (in succession).
- Failure of impulsiveness in acting with others.
- Failure of good judgment.
- Spontaneous recurrence of a thought, image, phrase, or tune in the mind (Perseveration).
- Failure to concentrate on task
- Mood changes (expressively Labile).
- Change in behavior toward any person.
- Personality alterations
- Having trouble with analytical problems
- Failure to communicate normally (Broca’s Aphasia).
Parietal Lobe
- near the back and top of the head (contains the sensory cortex and association area) – responsible for receiving incoming information from the sensory nerve and is concerned with sensory impulses and the start of motor impulses.
- Failure to deal with one object at a time.
- Failure to distinguish an object (Anomia).
- Failure to find the words for writing (Agraphia).
- Trouble in terms of reading (Alexia).
- Complexity with drawing objects.
- Having trouble in telling between left from right.
- Having trouble with calculations (Dyscalculia).
- Inability to make skilled movements with accuracy (Apraxia).
- Failure to focus visual attention.
- Having trouble with regards to hand and eye coordination.
Occipital Lobes
- at the back of the head (responsible for vision)
- Deficiency in vision (Visual Field Cuts).
- Having trouble with locating objects present in the surroundings.
- Having trouble with recognizing colors (Color blind).
- Hallucinates
- Having episodes of illusions – erroneously seeing objects.
- Failure to identify words.
- Having trouble in distinguishing drawn objects.
- Failure to make out the movement of object (motion agnosia).
- Having trouble with reading and writing.
Temporal Lobes
- lying at the side within the temple of the skull just above ears and is concerned with the appreciation of sound and spoken language.
- Having trouble in recognizing faces (Prosopagnosia).
- Having trouble in hearing and comprehending spoken words (Wernicke’s Aphasia).
- Annoyance with particular attention to what we notice and hear.
- Having trouble with recognition of, and expression about objects.
- Temporary and/or partial memory loss.
- Difficulty with long term memory.
- Amplifying and sometimes diminishing sexual interest
- Failure to classify objects (Categorization).
- When there is damage in the right lobe, this can cause unrelenting talking.
- Augmenting aggressiveness
Brain Stem
- deep within the brain and is concerned with the control of breathing, speech, swallowing reflexes, balance, and sleep patterns.
- Diminishing essential capability in breathing, and the significance for speech.
- Having trouble with swallowing food and/or water (Dysphagia).
- Having complexity with organization/perception of the surroundings.
- Having trouble with balance and/or movement.
- Suffering dizziness and nausea (Vertigo).
- Sleeping disturbance (Insomnia, sleep apnea, hypersomnia).
Cerebellum
- base of the skull and is essential for the maintenance of muscle tone, balance, and the synchronization of activity in groups of muscles under voluntary control, converting muscular contractions into smooth coordinated movements.
- Failure to coordinate fine movements.
- Failure to walk.
- Having problem to reach out and grab objects.
- Presence of tremors
- Having dizziness and nausea (Vertigo)
- Slurring of speech (Scanning Speech)
Failure to carry out fast movements.