How do our brains work?

The brain is one of our most important organs, yet most people understand very little about it.  Come with us as we explore the different parts of the brain, how they work and why they are important.

We can’t live without our brain

The human brain is a complex organ and it controls almost every aspect of our lives.

A good example of all parts of our brain working together to complete a task is the act of sending a text message:

Parietal lobe helps us feel the phone in our hand, the tapping of the text and to read what we’ve typed.

Occipital lobe helps us recognise the phone and interpret the data on the screen.

Hippocampus helps us draw on our memory, the name of a friend and the story we want to tell.

Temporal lobe helps us to spell and form a sentence.

Limbic region could be involved if the text is emotional.

Frontal lobe was involved in planning to send the text and censoring any socially inappropriate statements.

Many different conditions can impact on the brain and cause dementia, as well as many other diseases similar to dementia. That’s why it’s so important be brain healthy and see your GP in the first instance if you have any concerns.

All parts of our brain are interconnected

Each part of our brain has a specialised function, but one part can’t function well without the others because the brain sends messages in all directions for the human body to work. To function as human beings, there is constant communication across the brain.

Damage to any part of the brain can have a significant impact on a person’s life. Imagine trying to send a text if your parietal lobe wasn’t working properly (helps us feel the phone in our hand, the tapping of the text and to read what we’ve typed). You wouldn’t be able to do it the way you are used to, even though all other lobes might be working perfectly fine.

For people with dementia, brain damage occurs unevenly. It can start in one area of the brain, but it can affect so many different daily tasks, because so many brain parts are involved in one simple task. Brain damage caused by dementia also spreads over time, so more and more brain parts become damaged, leading to more and more difficulties in daily life.

There are two distinct hemispheres in our brains

The brain has two hemispheres, left and right. Separately and together, each hemisphere allows us to maintain life and be unique.

Limbic region:

• Development of emotions
• Being able to understand our emotions
• Being able to detect danger

Damage to the limbic region is common in most forms of dementia. It may change the way a person feels or would react to things. A person may feel more excited, anxious, sad or apathetic than before they developed dementia.

Damage to this part of the brain can also lead to delusions (strongly believing things that aren’t true) – for example believing a stranger is in the house, or someone is stealing things from them.

Hippocampus:

• Part of the limbic system
• Memories are stored all over the brain but the actual ability to store memory occurs here

Damage to the hippocampus makes it difficult to learn new things. It is important for memory of events and experiences (episodic memory).

The brain is then further divided into several different areas, called lobes, which are responsible for different things.

Frontal lobes:

• Knowing how to do things in a certain order
• Making decisions and solving problems
• Self-awareness (for example, knowing when you are thirsty)
• Ability to control emotions
• Keeping your own behaviour in check
• Talking fluently
• Keeping things “in mind”
• Starting and stopping an action

Frontotemporal dementia is most closely linked to damage in the frontal lobes. Early symptoms of frontotemporal dementia can be changes in personality or behaviour. People may also have trouble with planning, organising and making decisions.

In other types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and vascular dementia, the frontal lobes tend to be damaged later.

Parietal lobes:

• Paying attention
• Being sensitive to sounds, touch, taste and temperature
• Reading and writing
• Knowing where your body is in relation to other things

Damage to the parietal lobes is common in Alzheimer’s disease. It can lead to problems with performing gestures and skilled movements when the person is trying to do things like tie shoelaces or put on clothes. It can also make doing tasks involving reading or writing much more difficult.

Occipital lobes:

• Being able to understand what you see

Damage to the occipital lobes eventually occurs in most types of dementia, although not generally during the early stages. However, in posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), visual problems can be among the first symptoms.

When the occipital lobes become damaged, a person may experience difficulty working out what they see in front of them. Severe difficulties with visual perception can also contribute to visual hallucinations.

Temporal lobes:

• Understanding words, sounds and language
• Being able to manage hearing lots of sounds at the same time

The hippocampus is located within the temporal lobes

The temporal lobes help to understand what is being heard and damage to this area can make it more difficult for the hippocampus to form memories of what has been heard.

Not all conditions of the brain are dementia

A number of conditions produce symptoms similar to dementia and some of the can be treated. They include some vitamin and hormone deficiencies, depression, medication effects, infections and brain tumours.

It is essential to talk to your doctor when symptoms first appear. If you feel comfortable, take a relative or friend with you.

If the symptoms are caused by dementia, an early diagnosis means early access to support, information and, if it is available, medication.

If symptoms are not caused by dementia, early diagnosis will be helpful to treat other conditions.

If you are worried about your brain or want to know more about being brain healthy, please call us at any time on 1800 100 500.

Want to know more about brain health? Check out these articles: 

Is dementia inevitable and should you do the gene test to find out? Actor Chris Hemsworth’s announcement that he carries two copies of the ApoE4 gene, increasing his risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, has generated a lot of conversation. But does this mean dementia is inevitable and is gene testing a good idea?

How do we maintain a healthy brain? There is no sure way to prevent dementia but there are things we can do to get our brain healthy and keep it healthy.

Is there a way to track your brain health? We all have times where we don’t feel ourselves, but how can we determine if it is temporary or if there is something more going on? 

For more resources about brain health visit our library guide here: https://dementia-org.libguides.com/maintain-your-brain

Want to read more stories like this one? Subscribe to Dementia Australia’s eNews