Frontal lobe brain tumors can be cancerous or noncancerous. Both types of tumors can cause symptoms for a variety of reasons. Tumors can destroy brain cells, causing permanent brain damage and inflammation as well as placing pressure on tissues that surround the tumor. The frontal lobe of the brain controls voluntary movement, intellectual functioning, thought processes, behavior and memory.
Paralysis
A person who has a brain tumor in the frontal lobe may experience one-sided paralysis, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. This symptom can help physicians diagnose where a brain tumor lies because the left frontal lobe controls the right side of the body and the right frontal lobe controls the left. A person exhibiting right-sided paralysis may have a tumor of the left frontal lobe.
Seizures
Roughly one-third of people diagnosed with a brain tumor experiences seizures, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. In a frontal lobe brain tumor, patients may experience unusual sensations, convulsions and loss of consciousness as the result of disruptions in brain activity. People may experience focal seizures, such as muscle twitching and jerking in the arms and legs, and may perceive abnormal smells or tastes.
Behavioral Changes
Personality changes are another common symptom in people suffering from a tumor in the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe controls behavior and judgment. The National Institutes of Health explains that people may suddenly become moody, overly or inappropriately emotional, or irrational if a tumor is pressing on the frontal lobe.
Memory Loss
The frontal lobe helps control memory and intellectual functioning. People who are suffering from a brain tumor in this region may begin to exhibit short-term memory loss and a decrease in intellectual functioning.
Impaired Vision
A tumor at the base of the frontal lobe can cause swelling of the optic nerve. A swollen optic nerve can cause a decrease in vision or total loss of vision. Other eye abnormalities include a drooping eyelid, pupils of different size and uncontrollable eye movements, according to the National Institutes of Health.
