Dmitris is in a car accident and his parietal lobe is injured. Which of the following is the most likely behavioral effect of his accident?
?????
a loss of both his sense of taste and his sense of smell
blindness
Wernicke’s aphasia
no sensation in his legs and feet
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: no sensation in his legs and feet.
Explanation:
The parietal lobe of the brain plays a crucial role in processing sensory information, including touch, pressure, pain, and temperature. It is involved in spatial awareness, coordination, and the perception of bodily sensations. The parietal lobe contains the somatosensory cortex, which is responsible for receiving and interpreting sensory input from different parts of the body, such as the legs and feet.
If Dmitris has sustained an injury to the parietal lobe, it is most likely that he could experience sensory loss or a diminished sense of touch in parts of his body. This would make the answer “no sensation in his legs and feet” the most plausible outcome of his injury.
Why the other answers are less likely:
- A loss of both his sense of taste and his sense of smell:
- The sense of taste is primarily processed by the gustatory cortex, which is located in the insular cortex, while smell is processed by the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex. These are not directly related to the parietal lobe, making this outcome less likely for a parietal lobe injury.
- Blindness:
- Blindness typically results from damage to the occipital lobe, which is responsible for processing visual information. While the parietal lobe plays a role in spatial awareness and visual processing related to movement, it is not directly involved in visual perception itself. Therefore, blindness is unlikely to occur from damage to the parietal lobe.
- Wernicke’s aphasia:
- Wernicke’s aphasia is a language disorder typically caused by damage to the left temporal lobe, specifically the Wernicke’s area. This area is essential for language comprehension, and damage here impairs understanding of spoken or written language. It is unrelated to the parietal lobe.
In conclusion, the most likely behavioral effect of Dmitris’ accident would be a loss of sensation in his legs and feet, due to the parietal lobe’s role in processing sensory input from the body.