Brain-Behavior Relationship

Problems such as denial, apathy, emotional lability, impulsivity, frustration intolerance, lack of insight, inflexibility, perseveration, confabulation, lack of initiation, poor judgment and reasoning, and decreased social skills can often be linked to specific areas of brain damage.

Injuries to specific areas of the brain can manifest into specific behavioral disorders. The brain stem is located at the base of the brain near bony areas. Damage to this area can lead to disorientation, frustration, and anger. Injury to the limbic system, higher up in the brain, is associated with emotions and affect. Disorders to this region can result in explosive rage. Damage to the temporal lobes or seizures in this region have been associated with a number of behavioral disorders. The frontal lobe, due to its size and location near the front of the cranium, is almost always injured. It is considered the emotional control center and home of the personality. Damage to this area can result in decreased judgment and increased impulsivity, irritability, and aggression.

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