# Effects of Closed Head Injury to Front of Brain **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801 "2001-08-29T20:51:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801/1 "2001-08-29T20:51:52Z")
If someone suffered a closed head injury from a car accident, and the front if his brain were damaged, what sort of mental effects would you expect to see? Might such a person no longer understand the difference between right and wrong? Could the person’s ability to understand the consquences of his actions be diminshed? And finally, might such a person tell lies for no reason, for example, tell a lie that would get them in trouble, when the truth is innocuous? If you know of a source for such information on-line, I’d be happy to read it. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801/2 "2001-08-29T21:17:01Z")
[http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual\_home/sec6/75.htm](http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/sec6/75.htm) Sequelae can be as great as a vegetative state. It depends how extensively the frontal lobe was damaged, what areas were damaged, etc. ---
**Author:** ![cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801/3 "2001-08-29T21:22:00Z")
It is possible to sustain a brain injury that could effect your perception of right and wrong. Apparently, that’s what happened to [Phineas Gage](http://www-instruct.nmu.edu/psychology/mmacmill/gage_page/pgage.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801/4 "2001-08-29T21:42:21Z")
Thanks, this is helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801/5 "2001-08-30T01:33:45Z")
I used to work tutoring a woman with TBI (traumatic brain injury) and I got involved with their support group. TBI is more common than you’d realize. Yes, many TBI victims have frontal lobe damage, which affects their ability to determine right and wrong. That Merck article is a little broader than desirable, let me recommend a more focused site: [http://www.tbinet.org/](http://www.tbinet.org/) ---
**Author:** ![tsunamisurfer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@tsunamisurfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsunamisurfer)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801/6 "2001-08-30T01:50:49Z")
Much is understood about the brain; little of the mind. Closed-head trauma that appears minor can nevertheless precipitate severe behavioral changes and emotional lability that may not resolve itself for weeks, months, or for life. Many of the serious cases–those who are not in vegetative states–have difficultly regulating their emotions and become prone to explosive tempers alternating with periods of extreme introversion. Medical literature is replete with other baffling changes. Sadly, many of these accidents are the result of people not using their seatbelts when driving. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801/7 "2001-08-30T02:23:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tsunamisurfer \* > **Closed-head trauma that appears minor can nevertheless precipitate severe behavioral changes and emotional lability that may not resolve itself for weeks, months, or for life.** From what I’ve read, 80% of brain function returns within 2 years. Or more specifically, 80% of all the healing you’ll ever get will occur within 2 years. ---
**Author:** ![Neurodoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Neurodoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurodoc)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2001, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-closed-head-injury-to-front-of-brain/78801/8 "2001-08-31T08:04:51Z")
Closed Head Injury (CHI)is a term that refers to head trauma that shakes up the brain but does not cause a skull fracture or any other danage (such as subdural hematoma) that needs surgery (e.g. craniotomy) to fix. CHI includes a spectrum of brain injury, ranging from a bump on the head with no symptoms, to concussion (momentary loss of consciousness with no apparent brain damage visible on CT/MRI, etc), to diffuse axonal sheer and contusions of the brain (brain bruises). CHI can have many clinical sequelae. The general rule in neurology is that the effects of brain injury depend upon the neuroanatomic structures that are injured. Injuries to the frontal lobes are common in CHI in which the front of the head strikes something. Because of the structure of the skull, the frontal poles and the anterior temporal poles are most often injured from frontal impacts. There is also “contre-coup” (or “rebound” injury) to the parts of the brain diametrically opposite to the original impact (e.g. the occipital poles). Lesions to the frontal lobes may result in emotional disinhibition, in lethargy and anhedonia, in hyperexitability, in motor weakness and motor dyspraxia, etc. Lesions to the temporal poles may result in memory deficits and seizures. Indeed, the most troubling changes are in personality and seizures, and brain injury (whether from stroke or trauma) is the most common cause of epilepsy.