I have a astracytoma malignant brain tumor in my left frontal lobe.  I
undersand that this area is responsible for speech.  Can someone tell
me what kinds of "speech" we are talking about?  E.g., spoken,
written, understanding, forming sentences without uttering etc..  What
would the affects of removing the left frontal lobe be on me exactly?

Hi,

The exact effects of removing a portion of the left frontal lobe
depends greatly on precisely where the tissue is removed, how much of
the tissue is removed, as well as individual differences. While most
people's brains are mapped in a very similar manner, no two
individuals are exactly alike. In fact, an individuals brain functions
can even be remapped to some degree over the course of their life, as
has been shown in cases of traumatic brain injury such as stroke
victims who may later regain a portion of lost cognitive abilities; or
blind persons who have been shown to have other sensory information,
such as touch, remapped into areas of the brain that would be
typically reserved for vision.

Perhaps the most well-known language disorder related to left frontal
lobe injuries is Broca's aphasia. Broca's area, discovered by Paul
Broca, is a small region in the left frontal lobe responsible for the
motor aspects of speech. People with Broca's aphasia typically have no
trouble comprehending what is spoken to them, however, they may have
difficulty speaking, utter only repetitive phrases or may become mute
entirely. Some people who are mute because of damage to Broca's area
are still able to write.

If the damage is above Broca's area in a region called Exner's area,
the person may instead lose the ability to read and write, but still
be able to communicate verbally.

Damage to either frontal lobe may also cause motor impairment, as well
as mood and personality disorders. Damage to some regions of the left
frontal lobe has been associated with pseudo-depressive moods.
Abstract reasoning can also be affected. This may result in the person
having greater difficulty interpreting the world around them.

Your physician should be able to locate the tumor more precisely for
you. I'm not sure this would work (the test may not be specific
enough), but your doctor might also be able to perform a non-invasive
functional MRI to give you a better idea of what brain functions could
be affected. Unfortunately, because the brain is such a complicated
organ and minute changes can make such a significant difference, I am
not sure that it is within our current technology to make a precise
estimate of the long-term effects of any form of brain surgery.

I am sure that a brain tumor is a very difficult thing to face. If it
gives you any hope, remember that more and more research daily shows
that the brain is a far more malleable organ than previously believed.
I had a very good friend in the seventh grade that had a tumor in the
vision centers of his brain that caused him to begin to go blind. They
removed the tumor, and it took him a couple of years to really
recover, but he did eventually get most of his sight back and went on
to play on the same soccer team as myself not long after. I know that
not all cases go as well as that, but enough of them do to matter.

I hope this helps. If you need any further clarification, do not
hesitate to ask.

Have a great day,

Spot


NeuroPhysiology, Executive Function Disorder
http://www.braincampus.com/npsych/frontal.html

Traumatic Brain Injury Resource Guide
http://www.neuroskills.com/index.html?main=tbi/bfrontal.shtml

Research Show That Adult Brains Compensate For Damage To Language
Systems
http://www.neuroskills.com/index.html?main=tbi/pr-plasticity.shtml

Broca's Aphasia
http://www.sci.uidaho.edu/med532/Broca.htm

Frontal Lobe, Common Disorders
http://www.student.carleton.edu/P/peterseb/psych/disfrontal.html

Search Stategy:
left frontal lobe
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=left+frontal+lobe

Excellent answer, spot_tippybuttons!  I couldn't have done better
myself.

One additional point (quite possibly the only thing you missed):  The
frontal lobe is also the part of the brain that makes you "think
before you act."  Many people who have had surgery or trauma to the
frontal lobe have had trouble controlling impulsive behavior,
especially when angry, aroused, etc.   This is something very
important to remember - as if you start to have this type of behavior
it is imperative to get help at once, etc.

I know what you're going through, brdietrich, as I just spent the
entire Christmas holiday in the ICU of the hospital with a family
member who had a brain injury/surgery.  Good Luck, and I will keep you
in my thoughts & prayers.

-Rebekah