| Occipital Lobe Brain Damage in Alzheimer's |
Alzheimer's ultimately affects all parts of the brain but each person is affected differently as the disease progresses. In part this is due to the nature and extent of damage being caused to different areas of the brain. Each section of the brain is known as a lobe; a lobe simply means a part of an organ (earlobe for example). Here, we examine the effects of damage to the
occipital lobe of the brain (see picture below).
The occipital lobes of the brain are mainly involved in processing information from the eyes. The ability to see objects is acheived by the eyes, but the ability to make sense of what we see is the job of the occipital lobe. Sometimes damage, or stimulation of the occipital lobes can result in visual hallucinations. For reasons yet to be determined, this area of the brain seems relatively unaffected in dementia.
If damage to the occipital lobes does occur it may lead to an inability to recognize objects. This, coupled with degenerative processes in other parts of the brain, could explain why clothing, baths, toilets, etc are not perceived for what they are - or their purpose understood.
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11/15/2005
