Where it is
Fills the upper skull. The frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes are named after the bones above them; the hemispheres are joined by the corpus callosum.
What it does
Frontal lobe: personality, judgment, voluntary movement (precentral gyrus) and speech production (Broca's area, usually left). Parietal lobe: sensation (postcentral gyrus). Temporal lobe: hearing, memory and language comprehension (Wernicke's area). Occipital lobe: vision.
Clinical relevance
- Each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body: a left-hemisphere stroke causes right-sided weakness and often aphasia.
- Right-hemisphere strokes can cause left-sided neglect and impulsive behavior.
- Frontal lobe injury changes personality and judgment.
Nursing focus
- For left neglect, approach from the unaffected side at first and teach the client to scan to the affected side.
- For expressive aphasia, ask yes/no questions and give time to respond.