🧠 Brain Injuries: What First Aiders Need to Know

When it comes to head injuries, knowing what part of the brain is affected can help explain the symptoms a casualty may experience—and guide your first aid response. The brain is incredibly complex, but here’s a breakdown of the main parts and how trauma impacts each one.

🏗️ The Brain: A Quick Overview

The brain is divided into four main lobes and several important inner structures, each responsible for different bodily functions. These are protected by the skull, but even a minor knock can cause swelling, bleeding, or loss of function. In first aid, we refer to traumatic brain injury (TBI) as any injury affecting how the brain works—from concussions to severe bleeding or skull fractures.

🟡 Frontal Lobe – The Command Centre

Location: Front of the brain
Functions: Decision-making, movement, personality, speech (Broca’s area)
Injury Impact: Confusion, personality changes, poor judgment, loss of voluntary movement, difficulty speaking

First Aid Tip: If a patient seems unusually disoriented, irritable, or can't control their movements after a blow to the front of the head, the frontal lobe may be affected.

🔵 Parietal Lobe – Spatial Awareness and Touch

Location: Top middle section
Functions: Sensory perception (touch, temperature, pain), spatial awareness
Injury Impact: Numbness, difficulty recognising objects, poor coordination, problems judging distances

First Aid Tip: Someone with a parietal injury might drop things or not feel part of their body correctly. Monitor closely and seek urgent medical help.

🟠 Temporal Lobe – Memory and Hearing

Location: Sides of the brain near the ears
Functions: Hearing, memory, language comprehension (Wernicke’s area)
Injury Impact: Confusion, memory loss, trouble understanding speech, auditory hallucinations

First Aid Tip: If a person seems to be slurring, misunderstanding language, or having memory lapses, suspect temporal lobe involvement.

🟣 Occipital Lobe – Vision Processing

Location: Back of the brain
Functions: Visual interpretation
Injury Impact: Blurred vision, hallucinations, partial or full blindness

First Aid Tip: Ask the person if their vision has changed. Double vision, flashes, or black spots can be signs of occipital lobe trauma.

⚪ Cerebellum – Balance and Coordination

Location: Back and underneath the brain
Functions: Balance, coordination, muscle control
Injury Impact: Dizziness, clumsy movements, difficulty walking

First Aid Tip: A fall or blow to the back of the head can disrupt balance. Sit the person down safely and observe for vomiting, drowsiness or slurred speech.

⚫ Brainstem – Life Support System

Location: Base of the brain
Functions: Breathing, heartbeat, consciousness
Injury Impact: Irregular breathing, loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness, coma

First Aid Tip: This is the most critical area. If a patient becomes unresponsive or stops breathing—begin CPR immediately and call 111.

🚨 Recognising Signs of Brain Injury

Head injuries aren’t always visible. Always seek urgent medical help if someone:

• Becomes drowsy or confused

• Vomits repeatedly

• Has one pupil larger than the other

• Experiences seizures

• Loses consciousness (even briefly)

• Complains of a severe or worsening headache

🩹 What You Can Do

✅ Keep the person still and supported
✅ Call 111 immediately for suspected brain injury
✅ Monitor breathing and responsiveness
✅ Be prepared to start CPR if needed

👩‍⚕️ First Aid Saves Lives

At RealMed First Aid, we teach how to recognise and respond to head injuries through scenario-based, hands-on training. Our courses cover everything from concussion signs to unconscious casualty management.

📍 Book a course in your region and learn how to act fast when every second counts.

🔗 Helpful Resource: ACC – Concussions in sports & recreation
🔗 Explore More: RealMed First Aid Courses🧠 

📍 We Come to You
RealMed First Aid delivers interactive, group first aid courses across New Zealand. Our hands-on, scenario-based training builds real confidence for real emergencies.

RealMed First Aid is not an NZQA-accredited provider. While we do not offer NZQA unit standards or assessments, our training aligns with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and adheres to New Zealand Resuscitation Council (NZRC) guidelines.