Question

directions: read the following scenarios and explain the area of the brain that is affected. scenario 1. walking down a dark new york street late at night you suddenly feel the metal barrel of a pistol press against your head behind your ear and hear the instructions \dont move a muscle while i slip your wallet out of your pocket\. unfortunately you do move, the gun is fired and the bullet enters the brain. breathing and heart beat stop almost immediately. where is the bullet? 2. \little mo\ was extremely short for his age. his doctors concluded the brain was not stimulating the proper release of hormones necessary for growth. what areas of the brain are they probably focusing on? 3. on justins 21st birthday he & his buddies celebrated a bit too much. when the police stopped his car justins speech was slurred, he couldnt walk a straight line or balance on one foot. justin is quite \tipsy\. he nearly missed his face altogether when asked to touch his nose while his eyes were closed. the impaired functioning of what part of justins brain is responsible for these difficulties with motor coordination and balance? 4. uncle ed suffered a stroke, which damaged a portion of his cortex. he shows some weakness and partial paralysis of his right leg. what area of his cortex was affected by the stroke? (be specific) 5. paul suffered from encephalitis (a brain infection) while in college. he received good medical attention but still the infection took its toll on certain parts of his brain, so that now paul cannot store new long - term memories. what part of the brain did the encephalitis damage? 6. leons car was broad - sided by a semi causing leons head to smash against the drivers side window damaging his temporal lobe cortex. what ability may be affected? 7. brett was a superior student and had a full scholarship, but following a head injury he can no longer plan, organize or follow through with tasks necessary for school. (in addition he no longer shows concern for others or for common social courtesies. hes rude and disinhibited.) where was his injury? 8. jan suffered a concussion in a car accident. since that day she has notice a dramatic decrease in her sexual libido, a lack of appetite and an absence of thirst. she never thinks of having a drink until her lips actually dry and crack. what part of her brain might have been affected by the car accident? 9. grandma mary had a stroke which impaired her ability to speak fluently although she can move all the necessary muscles. what is the most likely location of her brain damage (be specific)? 10. some individuals who are blind have biorhythms and sleep/waking cycles that are very different than normal. the area of the brain responsible for these cycles malfunctions without normal visual input. what region is this? 11. gwens brain has a congenital anomaly (a difference in brain anatomy that she was born with) - it lacks the main connection between the right and left hemispheres. what was gwen born without? 12. amy was having a really bad week. on monday her vision got blurrier and blurrier until she could no longer see at all. on tuesday she found she couldnt hear. on wednesday her sense of taste went. on thursday she lost her sense of touch. her ct scan revealed a single brain tumor was probably producing all of these deficits. what single part of the brain is involved in all of these sensory processes? 13. pete was struck by lightning when he insisted on finishing his 18 holes of golf despite the lightning packed thunderstorm. he was looking down; lining up a long putt shot and the bolt of lightning struck the rear of his head, frying his occipital lobes. what aspect of behavior is likely to be impaired if pete survives? 14. margie suffered damage to part of the surface of her brain after being struck by a golf club let loose by an irate golfer that had just sliced a key drive. as a result margie has loss some sensory awareness of her left leg. where is margies brain damage (be specific)? 15. your grandmother has begun to lose her spatial abilities - she gets lost in the neighborhood where she has spent her whole life, she can no longer read a map, she cant put dishes or clean laundry away because she no longer knows where things go in her home of 40 years. what part of the brain mediates these perceptual/spatial abilities? 16. johnny had a bad accident. they were able to resuscitate his pulse and breathing but he did not regain consciousness for days. disturbance of what specific part of johnnys brain might have resulted in an inability of the brain to regulate normal alertness? 17. jeanette suffers from focal epilepsy (seizures localized in just one part of the brain). her seizures are triggering extreme emotions - most often extreme fear followed by a rage response. what part of the brain is being affected? 18. after martins cerebrovascular accident he had difficulty understanding what others were saying to him. he could speak but what he said made little sense. where is martins brain damage?

Explanation:

1. The medulla controls vital functions like breathing and heart - beat. A bullet in this area can cause immediate cessation of these functions.
2. The pituitary gland is responsible for releasing hormones necessary for growth. If the brain is not stimulating its proper release, growth issues can occur.
3. The cerebellum is involved in motor coordination and balance. Impairment here leads to difficulties in walking straight, balance, and fine - motor tasks like touching the nose.
4. The motor cortex in the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body. Damage to it can cause weakness and partial paralysis on the right leg.
5. The hippocampus is crucial for the formation of new long - term memories. Damage to it due to encephalitis can lead to an inability to store new long - term memories.
6. The temporal lobe is involved in auditory processing, memory, and some language functions. Damage to the temporal lobe cortex can affect these abilities.
7. The prefrontal cortex is associated with executive functions like planning, organizing, and social behavior. Damage here can lead to a lack of concern for others and poor social judgment.
8. The hypothalamus regulates basic drives such as sexual libido, appetite, and thirst. Damage to it can cause changes in these functions.
9. Broca's area in the left frontal lobe is important for speech production. Damage to it can lead to non - fluent speech despite normal muscle movement.
10. The suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus regulates the body's circadian rhythms. In blind individuals, without normal visual input, disruptions can occur here.
11. The corpus callosum is the main connection between the right and left hemispheres. A congenital lack of it is a significant brain anomaly.
12. The thalamus is a relay center for sensory information. A tumor here can affect multiple sensory modalities.
13. The occipital lobes are responsible for visual processing. Damage to them can lead to visual impairments.
14. The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe is responsible for sensory awareness of the body. Damage to the right somatosensory cortex can lead to a loss of sensory awareness in the left leg.
15. The parietal lobe is involved in spatial perception. Damage to it can lead to difficulties with spatial tasks like reading a map and putting things away.
16. The reticular activating system in the brainstem is responsible for regulating normal alertness and consciousness. Damage to it can lead to a lack of consciousness.
17. The amygdala is involved in emotional processing, especially fear and anger. Focal epilepsy in this area can trigger extreme emotions.
18. Wernicke's area in the left temporal lobe is important for language comprehension. Damage to it can lead to difficulties in understanding speech and producing meaningful speech.

Answer:

1. Medulla
2. Pituitary gland
3. Cerebellum
4. Left motor cortex
5. Hippocampus
6. Temporal lobe cortex
7. Prefrontal cortex
8. Hypothalamus
9. Broca's area
10. Suprachiasmatic nucleus
11. Corpus callosum
12. Thalamus
13. Occipital lobes
14. Right somatosensory cortex
15. Parietal lobe
16. Reticular activating system
17. Amygdala
18. Wernicke's area