The Temporal Lobe and Memories

The temporal lobes are the area of the brain that is critical to retrieving memories and storing them. The temporal lobes are located underneath the temples, right behind the eyes. They are responsible for processing thoughts, short and long term memories, mood stability and the ability to learning language. The vital part to learning new information and memorizing it is the hippocampus; the hippocampus is located inside the temporal lobes. If the hippocampus would happen to become damaged the brain would no longer be able to retrieve memories or store new occurrences.

Chemicals imbalances and traumatic head injury can affect the temporal lobes. This could lead to memory problems, headaches, vision disturbances, trouble communicating, and reading difficulties. Depending on the side in which the temporal lobes are affected the side effects can differ. If the left side temporal lobe becomes damaged one may experiences mood disturbances such as aggression, obsessive negative thoughts or anxiety.

According to Kolb & Wishaw (1990) they have identified eight principle symptoms to temporal lobe damage.

1. Disturbance of auditory sensation and perception

2. Disturbance of selective attention of auditory and visual input

3. Disorders of visual perception

4. Impaired organization and categorization of verbal material

5. Disturbance of language comprehension

6. Impaired long-term memory

7. Altered personality and affective behavior

8. Altered sexual behavior

Scientists have also discovered that the amygdala also plays a part in the memory process by initiating memory storage in other areas of the brain. It appears that the amygdala decides which experiences are important to store based on the emotional significance.

Diseases that affect the temporal lobe are frontotemporal demential also known as FTD and Pick's disease, temporal lone epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

The temporal lobes carries other functions as well such as allowing a person to tell one sound from another sound, one smell from another smell along with helping sort information for memory purposes.

The right temporal lobe process visual memory which includes memory for faces, pictures and any visual stimuli ones comes into contact with. While the left temporal lobe process verbal memory this includes names, and memory for words.

Source:

Center for Neuro Skills