1990’s have been the decade of the brain. New technology has added
greatly to our understanding of the brain and its functions. Until
recently, the only way to view the brain was by cutting open the skull.
Today’s new imaging techniques are allowing researchers the opportunity
of watching a brain at work. This is an exciting new era for anyone
who is interested in unlocking the mysteries of the brain. However,
even with the ability to image, we still have very little understanding
of the brain’s higher level functions, as such learning, memory, emotions,
speech, and language.
The brain is divided into five major parts. Within each of these major division resides numerous sub-division, which are then divided into smaller sections. The area of the human brain most developed is the telencephalon. The telehcephalon is composed of the cerebrum and the basal ganglia. The cerebrum is divided into the right and left hemispheres. Each hemisphere is further divided into the four lobes called frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital. It is considered that within these structures high level functions are performed. [Huang]
The front tips of the frontal lobe are concerned with higher intellectual function and are responsible for many of the behavioral aspects of humans. Damage to this area may result in the loss of inhibitors of certain primitive behaviors. The frontal lobe is also responsible for carrying out movement for the rest of the body. [Huang]
The parietal lobe is primarily concerned with the interpretation and integration of sensory inputs. Destruction of the parietal lobe can result in clumsiness, defective recognition of sensory inputs and lack of interpretation of spatial relationships. The somatosensory cortex, which is part of the parietal lobe, is associated with reception and perception of touch, vibration, and position sense of the body. [Huang]
The posterior part of the temporal lobe is concerned with the reception and interpretation of sound information. The mid-section is concerned with smell information. Also within the dominant hemisphere, usually the left is an area called the language cortex. The language cortex participates in recognition and interpretation of language. [Huang]
Lastly, the occipital lobe is primarily concerned with vision. Damage
in this area may produce a loss of vision on the opposite side or a lack
of the ability to interpret visual inputs. [Huang]