THE BRAIN STEM-

The brain stem is the part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus .The brain stem plays a vital role in basic attention, arousal, and consciousness. All information to and from our body passes through the brain stem on the way to or from the brain. Like the frontal and temporal lobes, the brain stem is located in an area near bony protrusions making it vulnerable to damage during trauma. It is responsible for regular breathing, a normal heart rate, swallowing, reflexes for seeingand hearing (startle response), controls sweating, blood pressure, digestion, tempereature (automatic nerve system), affects level of alertness, the ability to sleep, and sense of balance.

Problems if damage were to occur to the brain stem.

Some problems that would occur if the brain stem were to be damage are Loss of ability to coordinate fine movements, loss of ability to walk, inability to reach out and grab objects, tremors, dizziness (vertigo), slurred speech (scanning speech), inability to make rapid movements.