Interactive Brain Map / The “Swiss Army Knife Model”

 Here’s a useful reference for any reader. Dr. Robert P. Lehr provides a concise and straight-forward list of brain areas and their functions. An interactive brain map follows the article, along with a diagram of the brain for further exploration.

Psychologists describe the animal brain as modular; that is, specific areas/systems are responsible for specific functions. For example, the occipital lobe of the brain is responsible for vision, the limbic system for emotion, and the motor cortex for muscle movement. Some psychologists have referred to this modularity as a “Swiss Army Knife model.” Like each tool in the knife, brain modules are somewhat independent; however, these modules, or tools, interact to create a larger entity.

In traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases, certain modules may be affected, while others remain completely normal. An injury to the frontal lobe may greatly affect an individual’s planning and problem solving (and thus greatly affecting that individual’s pre-injury routine), but may have no effect on the individual’s vision. https://askcompetentlawyer.com/ Conversely, brain damage in the Occipital lobe may render an individual blind, but have little effect on frontal lobe functioning.

An oft-cited case is that of railroad worker Phineas Gage. While helping to the build a railroad in 1848, Gage’s head was severely struck by a three-foot iron (traveling so fast that it went in one side and out the other!). The iron struck mostly Gage’s frontal lobe. As his physical recovery continued to improve post-accident, Gage’s personality seemed to have drastically changed. The fact that a three-foot rod could so greatly affect personality but not affect functions such as sight and speech helped solidify the notion of a modular brain.