Strokes can be caused by a number of things. Brain stem strokes can disrupt breathing, causing sudden death. Located at the top of the spinal column, the brain stem controls breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and alertness. A stroke in this area of the brain can lead to paralysis or “jerky” muscle movements. This area of the brain is responsible for fine motor movement, balance, and the brain’s ability to determine limb position. While the frontal lobe controls movement, the cerebellum “fine-tunes” this movement. Sometimes called the master gland, the pituitary gland is a pea-sized structure found deep in the brain behind the bridge of the. The cerebellum is located behind the brain stem. This aspect of brain anatomy, makes clear why stroke symptoms often only affect one side of the body. This allows posture, movement, and balance to be. The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere controls the right side. The vestibulospinal tract connects the brain stem nuclei of the vestibular system with the spinal cord. The cerebrum can be anatomically divided into two parts: the right and left hemispheres. Occipital lobe: processes visual stimuli Anatomy Function Associated Conditions Tests The brainstem is the part of the brain that directly connects with the spinal cord.Parietal lobe: controls sensory comprehension, interpreting taste, touch, temperature, pain, movement and orientation.Temporal lobe: controls memory, hearing, and understanding of speech and allows a person to distinguish between sounds and smells.Frontal lobe: involved in motor function, problem solving, spontaneity, memory, language, initiation, judgment, impulse control, and social and sexual behavior.Each of these lobes has different functions, some of which may overlap.

The brainstem also controls your balance, coordination and reflexes. Your brainstem helps regulate some body functions, including your breathing and heart rate. The following sections will describe the general function of each brain stem cranial nerve with diagrams marking their locations. It sits toward the bottom of your brain and is part of your central nervous system. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, made up of four distinct lobes: the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital. These nerves can have sensory functions, motor functions, or both. The signs and symptoms of a stroke depend on which region of the brain is affected and to what degree. To understand how stroke occurs and the damage it can cause, it is helpful to know the basic anatomy of the brain.

Brain stem function and balance