The Temporal Lobes
The temporal lobes are located beneath the frontal and parietal lobes. There is some overlap in location in that the largest parts of them are beneath the frontal lobes, with a smaller part located under the parietal lobes. In general, they are located near the temples of the head.
Broadly, the temporal lobes are the primary sensory centers of the brain. They deal with auditory input and they also collect and interpret information related to smell. Because of their involvement with hearing, they are also involved with sound interpretation, such as allowing the client to understand the lyrics of a song. The temporal lobes have some involvement with controlling aspects of sound recall, memory and emotion. As to memory function, the right temporal lobe is involved more with visual memory, whereas the left deals more with verbal memory. Injury to the anterior temporal lobes may result in deficits in the ability to recognize and remember objects, people, words and facts.
Injury to one or both temporal lobes, which can occur with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), can also result in the individual’s inability to recall autobiographical information, which is part of long-term memory. This includes aspects such as dates and places. Yet another effect is the inability to create new memories, which is a condition called “anterograde amnesia.”
Scientists have identified eight key symptoms by which to identify and to assess temporal lobe damage. They are:
1. Disturbance of auditory sensation and perception
2. Disturbance of selective attention of auditory or visual input
3. Disorders of visual perception
4. Impaired organization and categorization of verbal material
5. Disturbance of language comprehension
6. Impaired long-term memory
7. Altered personality and affective behavior
8. Altered sexual behavior
It is also not uncommon for seizures to emanate from the temporal lobes of the brain. Indeed, a temporal lobe seizure is the most common type of seizure in adults. It is often referred to as a “complex partial seizure.”
While seizures can originate from the right or left side of the temporal lobes, they can also emanate from the medial, or middle portion, of the temporal lobes.
A medial temporal lobe seizure is often accompanied by and associated with a sensory “aura.” An aura can be one of smell or taste, pleasant or unpleasant. It can also be in the form of a sense of “deja vu,” or a sense of familiarity with one’s surroundings. The client may or may not be partially responsive and able to follow instructions during the occurrence of an aura. The client may be entirely amnestic once the aura has ended. The aura may be associated with autonomic physical actions such as lip smacking, chewing or lip pursing.
It is critical to the well being and future care of a client with a seizure history that he or she be fully assessed, including by neurologists and neuropsychologists. Appropriate measures must be taken and monitoring implemented to ensure the client’s safety at all times. This is especially true if the pattern of seizures is random and if there is no apparent trigger for them. The RN’s role at NeuLife is critical to the monitoring and reporting function.
The multidisciplinary professionals at NeuLife are uniquely equipped, by education and experience, to assess, to treat and to rehabilitate clients who have sustained temporal lobe injury or have related temporal lobe dysfunction.
NeuLife, in Mount Dora, Florida, is a fully accessible specialized residential post-acute program providing specialized rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic amputations and other catastrophic injuries.
2725 Robie Avenue
Mount Dora, Florida 32757
Call: 800.626.3836
Email: [email protected]
Visit: NeuLifeRehab.com
