A person suffers a stroke that selectively damages the mid-brain and hind-brain, leaving the forebrain completely unaffected. List any FOUR critical body functions that would be disrupted as a result, naming the specific brain region responsible for each, and explain why the person's life would be at risk despite having an intact forebrain.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 01:01 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Four critical functions disrupted (mid-brain and hind-brain damage):
- Blood pressure regulation — controlled by the medulla (hind-brain); loss disrupts cardiovascular function.
- Breathing / respiration — controlled by the medulla (hind-brain); the person cannot breathe automatically.
- Salivation and vomiting — controlled by the medulla (hind-brain); basic digestive reflexes fail.
- Posture, balance, and precision of movement — controlled by the cerebellum (hind-brain); the person cannot walk or coordinate movements.
Why life is at risk despite intact forebrain:
The forebrain handles thinking, sensory interpretation, and voluntary actions, but it does NOT control involuntary vital functions. Breathing and blood pressure are regulated by the medulla and cannot be consciously overridden by the forebrain. Without these, the body's basic life-support systems fail, making survival impossible regardless of intact thinking ability.
Source: Human Brain, Chapter 6
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Explanation
- Examiners want four distinct points each naming the function + specific brain region — award ~½ mark each.
- The final paragraph (why life is at risk) is the reasoning/application part — crucial for full marks.
- Key pitfall: students often write "hind-brain" as a whole rather than specifying medulla vs cerebellum — be precise.
- The forebrain contrast is essential: it shows conceptual understanding that voluntary/thinking control cannot substitute for involuntary life-sustaining control.