Introduction of The Cerebral Cortex
The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of tissue in the brain that is only a few millimeters thick. The appearance of the folds increase the surface area of the cerebral cortex, which contains between 14 billion and 16 billion neurons, thus allowing it to play an important role in human cognitive function, while controlling somatic movements and interpreting sensations.
Injuries Caused by Cortical Function Decline
Cerebral Cortex Disorders
The cerebral cortex, the most developed part of the brain, is involved in a variety of higher functional processes such as language, consciousness, memory, emotion, and movement. The cerebral hemisphere can be divided into four different lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital, each responsible for a different function. When the cerebral cortex is damaged, the function of these parts may become impaired.
Many of the disorders involve cellular damage or death in different parts of the cerebral cortex, and the most common disorders that result include disuse disorder, in which individuals are characterized by motor deficits, lack of coordination and balance. It is also associated with memory and attention impairment, psychiatric disorders such as depression, etc.
Symptoms of Cerebral Cortex Injury
The symptoms associated with cortical injury are different, depending on the area and degree of damage. The symptoms of damage to different parts of the cerebral cortex are listed below.
- Frontal lobe injury
The frontal lobe is critical to an individual's cognitive, memory, attention, and planning abilities. Frontal lobe injury can affect an individual's behavioral patterns, emotions, and language skills. Symptoms include decreased learning and memory, recognition difficulties, language and comprehension difficulties, and selective difficulties.
- Parietal injury
The individual's sensory cortex is located in the parietal lobe, and damage to the parietal lobe can lead to impaired sensory function. Individuals may experience poor coordination, difficulty with writing, math, and directionality, numbness, and burning sensations.
- Temporal lobe injury
The temporal lobe plays an important role mainly in hearing, but is also involved in other functions such as memory and attention. Temporal lobe damage can affect an individual's ability to remember, hearing impairment, difficulty recognizing objects, and aphasia.
- Occipital lobe injury
Occipital lobe damage involves different types of blindness and visual distortions, including impaired vision, difficulty tracking moving objects, recognizing colors and visual hallucinations.
