Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Gross anatomy of the brain
- 3 Histology
- 4 Occipital and parietal lobes
- 5 Temporal lobe – neocortical structures
- 6 Frontal lobe
- 7 Basal ganglia
- 8 Diencephalon: hypothalamus and epithalamus
- 9 Diencephalon: thalamus
- 10 Brainstem
- 11 Limbic system: temporal lobe
- 12 Limbic system: cingulate cortex
- 13 Limbic system: overview
- 14 Interhemispheric connections and laterality
- Index
- Plate section
- References
6 - Frontal lobe
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Gross anatomy of the brain
- 3 Histology
- 4 Occipital and parietal lobes
- 5 Temporal lobe – neocortical structures
- 6 Frontal lobe
- 7 Basal ganglia
- 8 Diencephalon: hypothalamus and epithalamus
- 9 Diencephalon: thalamus
- 10 Brainstem
- 11 Limbic system: temporal lobe
- 12 Limbic system: cingulate cortex
- 13 Limbic system: overview
- 14 Interhemispheric connections and laterality
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
The elusive functions of the frontal lobe continue to fascinate the neuroscientist and the neuropsychologist. The frontal lobe is impressively developed in humans and makes up more than one-third of the entire cortical area (Damasio and Anderson, 1993). It controls actions of our body through its motor areas. It also appears to be responsible for shaping our attitudes and organizing our repertoire of behaviors through the actions of the prefrontal areas. Functions that are hallmarks of human behavior, such as intentionality, self-regulation, and self-awareness, are thought to be under the executive control of the frontal lobe.
An ongoing controversy among the prefrontal cortex researchers is whether this region contains regions with discrete functions subservient to an overall executive module that provides an integrated output of the system, or whether the entire prefrontal region is involved in this integrative function. The latter hypothesis requires the neural modules of the prefrontal regions to be highly dynamic. Evidence for both theories exists and the truth is likely to have elements of both schemas where both specialization and versatility contribute to the proper functioning of this most fascinating of brain regions. Different competing, and not necessarily mutually exclusive, theories will be introduced in this chapter.
Anatomical subdivisions
The frontal lobe lies rostral (anterior) to the central sulcus and is made up of three anatomically distinct regions: the dorsolateral aspect, the medial aspect, and the orbital (inferior) aspect.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Brain and BehaviorAn Introduction to Behavioral Neuroanatomy, pp. 70 - 101Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005