Contained in the left hemisphere of the frontal lobe of the brain and specialized in producing speech. People with damage to Broca's area can't speak fluently.

Broca's Area

A part of the frontal lobe that is responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning and focuses on "in the moment" or rash behavior (decision-making, problem solving, and so on). This area is also responsible for the development of personality. The PFC has a handful of (not universally agreed upon) subdivisions:

- Dorsomedial
- Dorsolateral
- Ventromedial
- Ventrolateral
- Orbitofrontal

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

The left hemisphere deals with working memory, concentration, executive planning, and positive emotions. 

Left Hemisphere of Frontal Lobe

The right hemisphere of the frontal lobe is involved in several cognitive functions, including episodic memory, social awareness, and the retrieval of information. It also contains the primary motor centers that control voluntary movement on the left side of the body, meaning damage to this area can lead to motor impairment on the contralateral side.

Right Hemisphere of Frontal Lobe

The following areas of brain lobes can be considered when implementing neurofeedback:

- Parietal lobes
- Frontal lobes
- Temporal lobes
- Occipital lobes
- Sensorimotor cortex
- Cingulate gyrus
- Broca's area
- Left hemisphere
- Right hemisphere

Brain Lobe Considerations When Using Neurofeedback

The motor cortex is the part of the frontal lobe which is involved in planning and coordinating movement.

Motor Cortex

Phineas Gage, a 25-year-old railroad foreman in 1848, is one of the most renowned cases in neuroscience. He suffered a severe brain injury when an explosion drove a tamping iron through his face and skull, damaging his frontal lobe. Miraculously, Gage survived the accident, remaining conscious and able to walk and speak immediately after. However, in the following months, he underwent a profound personality transformation. Previously known as a well-mannered man, he began to exhibit strange and inappropriate behavior. This shift in personality is attributed to a loss of impulse control, a key function managed by the frontal lobe.

Phineas Gage

Located at the front of the brain and extending back to the central sulcus. It receives signals from all senses in order to coordinate them. Also involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, language, and higher cognitive functions such as thinking, speech and problem solving.
It contains Broca's area, the Prefrontal Cortex, and the Motor Cortex.

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The cerebral cortex is divided into four primary lobes: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe.

Lobes in the Cerebral Cortex

People with schizophrenia often have larger ventricles. In their frontal lobe, they may also have less grey matter, which can impact their ability to execute behavior, talk, and focus.

Brain Anatomy and Schizophrenia

Goldstein, E. B. (2014). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience. Nelson Education.


Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience

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Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Situated directly behind the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe is primarily responsible for processing sensory information from various parts of the body. A key structure within this lobe is the somatosensory cortex, which is essential for this function.

Parietal Lobe

Situated on the side of the head near the temples, the temporal lobe is a region of the brain involved with several key functions, including hearing, memory, emotion, and certain language abilities. It houses important structures for these functions, such as the auditory cortex, which processes sound, and Wernicke's area, which is crucial for language comprehension.

Temporal Lobe

Situated at the posterior end of the brain, the occipital lobe is primarily responsible for interpreting visual information. It contains the primary visual cortex and is characterized by a retinotopic organization, meaning there is a direct correspondence between an object's position in the visual field and its representation on the cortex.

Occipital Lobe

Frontal Lobe

A visual illustration displaying the relative anatomical locations of two critical language centers in the brain. It shows Broca's area, which is primarily involved in speech production and is situated in the frontal lobe, alongside Wernicke's area, which is crucial for language comprehension and is located in the temporal lobe.

Anatomical Locations of Broca's and Wernicke's Areas

Based on the following case study, identify the lobe of the cerebral cortex most likely affected and explain your reasoning by connecting the patient's symptoms to the specific functions of that area.

Brain Injury Symptom Analysis

Gray matter contains a preponderance of neuronal cell bodies and dendrites, and it is devoid of myelin. It receives and processes information in the brain.

Gray matter

Ventricles are a part of the human brain. They are responsible for holding cerebral spinal fluid. Schizophrenia patients often have large ventricles. Ventricles taking up more space can also imply that other parts of the brain are reduced (or deducted) in terms of their size. 

Ventricles in the Brain

Based on the provided case study, explain how the patient's specific brain scan findings are likely related to their observed behavioral and cognitive difficulties.

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