Parietal Lobe

Q.  Is there a specific part of the brain that controls the attention of my students?

A.  Many factors influence attention.  The parietal lobes do play a role in maintaining focus.  If the stimulus is considered meaningful to the brain, attention is given to that stimulus.  As the stimulus becomes less meaningful, the attention lessens.

Q.    Anosognosia is a strange disorder that results in a "lack of knowledge of an illness".  If you had a stroke which left you paralyzed on your left side, and you are unaware of the left side of your body (just refuse to acknowledge that side, don't comb the hair on the left side of the body, nor clothe it) you are suffering from anosognosia!  What area of the brain is invloved?

A.    The parietal lobes, which lie at the top of the brain in a flat, plate-like are are responsible for handling the body's spatial awareness and orientation.  Sometimes a stroke in this area will result in a person suffering anosognosia.

Brain Matters by Patricia Wolfe