ch 16 - frontal lobes

What are the primary subdivisions of the frontal lobes?

Motor (Area 4), Premotor (Areas 6, 8, 44), and Prefrontal Cortex (Areas 9, 46, 11-14, 25, and 32)

What are the primary subdivisions of the prefrontal cortex?

DLPFC (Area 9 & 46)

Orbital Frontal Cortex (Area 11, 12, 13, 14)

Medial Frontal Cortex (Area 25 & 32)

What areas are included in the Premotor Cortex?

Areas 6 (lateral and medial), 8 (frontal eye fields), and 44 (Broca’s area)

function of the premotor cortex

Dorsal PM - choosing movements from location

Ventral PM - contains mirror neurons that recognize other movements and select similar or different actions

Frontal eye fields - control eye movements 

What is the function of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex?

temporal memory, providing internal representation for spatial info, movement planning

What is the role of the Orbital Frontal Cortex?

It serves as an associative cortex, receiving inputs from the temporal lobe, amygdala, and various sensory cortices.

connections of the orbital frontal cortex

projects: hypothalamus & amygdala

receives: temporal lobe, amygdala, gustatory cortex, somatosensory cortex, olfactory cortex, dopaminergic cells in tegmentum

What are the main functions of the Prefrontal Cortex?

Controls cognitive processes for appropriate movements, integrates internal and external context cues, and autonoetic awareness (self-awareness)

what are the connections of the premotor cortex

projections: spinal cord, motor cortex

receives from: parietal areas PF and PE (limb position), dorsolateral prefrontal area

What is the significance of the left frontal lobe?

It is primarily associated with language and encoding memories.

What functions are associated with the right frontal lobe?

It is involved in nonverbal movements, facial expressions, and retrieving memories.

What are common symptoms of frontal lobe lesions related to motor function?

Loss of fine movements, speed, strength, and movement programming.

What cognitive impairments are associated with frontal lobe lesions?

Impaired divergent thinking, loss of behavioral spontaneity, and increased perseveration.

What is the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task used to assess?

It assesses response inhibition and cognitive flexibility in patients with frontal lobe lesions.

What are the characteristics of pseudodepression?

Outward apathy, indifference, loss of initiative, and reduced sexual interest, typically after left frontal lobe lesions.

What is pseudopsychopathy?

Immature behavior, lack of tact, promiscuous sexual behavior, and coarse language, typically after right frontal lobe lesions.

What role does the frontal lobe play in temporal memory?

It is involved in recency memory, which tests the order of events, and is critical for providing an internal representation of spatial information.

What diseases are known to affect the frontal lobe?

Schizophrenia, Parkinson's Disease, and Korsakoff's syndrome.

What is the primary function of the Motor Cortex?

Involved in the execution of individual movements.

what does the primary motor cortex project to?

spinal motor neurons

facial cranial nerves

basal ganglia and red nucleus

What is the significance of corollary discharge in motor function?

It is an internal signal indicating that movement will occur, and damage to the frontal lobe disrupts this process.

What is the Iowa Gambling Task used to assess?

It assesses decision-making and risk-taking behavior, particularly in patients with orbitofrontal cortex damage.

What are the symptoms of impaired social behavior due to frontal lobe lesions?

Changes in personality, reduced inhibition, and deficits in understanding facial expressions.

What is the difference between convergent and divergent thinking?

Convergent thinking seeks one correct answer, while divergent thinking allows for multiple correct responses.

What is the role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex?

It is involved in internally directed thought.

connections of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex

projects: amygdala, hypothalamus, and PAG in brain stem

receives: DLPFC, posterior cingulate, medial temporal cortex

What is the function of the supplementary eye field?

It is involved in the control of eye movements, particularly in planning and executing saccades.

What are the symptoms of increased perseveration in frontal lobe patients?

Difficulty in shifting attention and a tendency to repeat actions or thoughts.

How do frontal lobe lesions affect verbal and design fluency?

Patients exhibit decreased verbal fluency and reduced creativity in design tasks.