Problems
short attention span
distractibility
lack of perseverance
impulse control problems
hyperactivity
chronic lateness, poor time management
poor organization and planning
procrastination
unavailability of emotions
misperceptions
poor judgement
trouble learning from experience
short term memory problems
social and test anxiety
lying
misperceptions

THE TEMPORAL LOBES

Functions
Auditory
Ventral visual stream
Processing of auditory input
Visual object recognition and categorization
Long term storage of sensory input
Amygdala – adds affective or emotional tone to sensory input and memories
Hippocampus – cells code places in space and allow us to navigate space and remember where we are.

Dominant Side (usually the left)
Perception of words
Process language related sounds
Sequential analysis
Increased blood flow during speech perception
Process details, individual units
Intermediate term memory
Long term memory
Auditory learning
Retrieval of words
Complex memories
Visual and auditory processing

Dominant Temporal Lobe (usually left) Problems
Decreased verbal memory (words, lists, stories)
Difficulty placing words or pictures into discreet categories
Trouble understanding the context of words
Aggression, internally or externally driven
Dark or violent thoughts
Sensitivity to slights, mild paranoia
Word finding problems
Auditory processing problems
Reading difficulties
Emotional instability

Non-dominant Side Functions (usually the right)
Perception of melodies
Pitch/prosody
Social cues
Reading facial expression
Increased blood flow during tonal memory
Decoding vocal intonation
Rhythm
Visual learning

Non-dominant Temporal Lobe (usually right) Problems
Difficulty recognizing facial expression
Difficulty decoding vocal intonation
Implicated in social skill struggles
Trouble processing music
Decreased social cues/context
Poor visual imagery
Decreased selective attention to visual input
Decreased recall of nonverbal items – shapes, faces, tunes

Either or Both Temporal Lobe Problems
memory problems, amnesia
headaches or abdominal pain without a clear explanation
anxiety or fear for no particular reason
abnormal sensory perceptions, visual or auditory distortions
feelings of deja vu or jamais vu
periods of spaciness or confusion
religious or moral preoccupation
hypergraphia, excessive writing
seizures

Temporal Lobe Personality
proneness to aggressive outbursts
overemphasis on trivia
pedantic speech
egocentric
preoccupation with religion

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