Head injuries can and do manifest differently in every person that experiences them. However, due to the similar structures and functions of the brain in every person, injuries to certain areas of the head or brain tend to have similar manifestations.
This includes damage to the frontal lobe. What sort of areas does this part of the brain control? How does damage manifest?
What does the frontal lobe control?
Mayo Clinic looks into traumatic brain injuries. Specifically, they examine at the frontal lobe which often ends up damaged in crashes to the front or back of the vehicle.
The frontal lobe holds responsibility for many crucial areas of a person’s mental, emotional and behavioral state of being. For one, it controls impulses and emotional regulation. It also plays a crucial role in the transfer and coding of short-term memories into long-term memories.
Thus, the issues that manifest due to head injuries in the area tend to relate to behavioral or impulse controls, or the storage and solidification of memories.
Behavioral change and memory loss
Regarding behavior, the loved ones of head injury victims often report that the victim seems to grow more violent and abrasive, prone to bursts of anger. They seem easier to irritate and fall into agitated behavioral patterns with greater ease. They may also lash out at their loved ones, which is a hard pill for many to swallow.
Memory troubles can impact many areas of a victim’s life, too. Many people have to entirely alter the way they get through daily life due to struggles with short-term memory loss. These frustrations easily pile up and create a stressful post-crash situation.