Understanding Behaviors Caused by a Traumatic Brain Injury

Do you know the possible behaviors caused by a traumatic brain injury?

There’s no organ more essential or complex than the brain. It dictates any and everything that goes on with the body. It operates in the background, keeping us alive, and, in the foreground as the home of our cognizance. That is why, naturally, when someone suffers from a traumatic brain injury, there is so much concern.

At San Diego Home Caregivers, we believe that learning about the possible behaviors caused by a traumatic brain injury in relation to the location in the brain where the damage occurred can help families better understand and make more informed decisions about their loved one’s care.

• Occipital Lobe: The occipital lobe controls our sense of sight. The effects of an occipital lobe injury might include vision problems, such as blurred vision or blind spots, hallucinations, visual illusions, the inability to recognize the movement of an object, or problems with reading and writing.
• Cerebellum: Our coordination, movement, and balance are controlled by the cerebellum. A cerebellum injury may cause an individual to lose the ability to do things that require coordination, such as walking, talking, or reaching out to grab something. It can also cause tremors, dizziness, and/or slurred speech.
• Temporal Lobe: Our language comprehension, memory, hearing, learning, and sequencing are all controlled by the temporal lobe. It lets us recognize faces and generates feelings. The effects of a temporal lobe injury can include problems with key functions as well as changes in sexual behavior, persistent talking (specifically with right lobe damage) and increased aggression.
• Parietal Lobe: We can thank our parietal lobe for our comprehension of language, sense of touch, spatial awareness, visual perceptions, and sense of time. When this area of the brain is injured, people may encounter difficulty reading, the inability to draw or name items, challenges with distinguishing right from left, difficulty with math, and an unawareness of or neglect of certain body parts. They will also commonly have problems with hand-eye coordination.
• Brain Stem: The brain stem controls the basic mechanisms of life, including heart rate, respiration, digestion, and blood pressure. It is the home of the startle response and reflex emotions, wake and sleep cycles, and our ability to sneeze, cough, vomit, and swallow. Brain stem damage can lead to problems with all of these basic mechanisms, including impacting speech, due to a diminished capacity for breathing.
• Frontal Lobe: The frontal lobe is home to a person’s personality, intelligence, and emotions. It is the region of the brain that controls concentration, makes judgments, and solves problems. It also controls body movement, including writing and speech. The effects of a frontal lobe injury can include changes and/or problems with the core functions controlled by the frontal lobe in addition to more subtle manifestations of the core functionality, such as a lack of inhibition, an impaired sense of smell, vision loss, persistence of a single thought, and mood swings.

Despite how many intricate parts make up the brain, it functions as a whole. Challenges with behaviors or functions can cascade, as can accomplishments gained through rehabilitation. If you have a loved one with a traumatic brain injury and could use help with caregiving due to the behavioral or physiological effects of the person’s trauma, San Diego Home Caregivers can help.

Contact our in-home caregiving team to schedule your free care consultation online or at (619) 487-9000 to learn more about our services in San Diego, La Jolla, North County, and the surrounding areas.