frontal lobe

Examples of frontal lobe in the following topics:

• Cerebral Hemispheres and Lobes of the Brain

  • The brain is separated into four lobes: the frontal, temporal, occipital, and parietal lobes.
  • The frontal lobe is associated with executive functions and motor performance.
  • The frontal lobe is considered to be the moral center of the brain because it is responsible for advanced decision-making processes.
  • Clockwise from left: The frontal lobe is in blue at the front, the parietal lobe in yellow at the top, the occipital lobe in red at the back, and the temporal lobe in green on the bottom.
  • The Broca's area is at the back of the frontal lobe, and the Wernicke's area is roughly where the temporal lobe and parietal lobe meet.

• Cerebral Cortex

  • The cortex is divided into four different lobes (the parietal, occipital, temporal, and frontal lobes), each with a different specific function.
  • One notable sulcus is the central sulcus, or the wrinkle dividing the parietal lobe from the frontal lobe.
  • A diagram of the brain identifying the different lobes by color.
  • Counterclockwise from bottom: It contains the parietal lobe (green), the occipital lobe (red), the temporal lobe (yellow), and the frontal lobe (blue).

• Executive Function and Control

  • This system is thought to rely on the prefrontal areas of the frontal lobe, but while these areas are necessary for executive function, they are not solely sufficient.
  • Historically, the executive functions have been thought to be regulated by the prefrontal regions of the frontal lobes, but this is a matter of ongoing debate.
  • The most likely explanation is that while the frontal lobes participate in all executive functions, other brain regions are necessary.
  • The major frontal structures involved in executive function are:
  • Executive-function development corresponds to the development of the growing brain; as the processing capacity of the frontal lobes (and other interconnected regions) increases, the core executive functions emerge.

• Neural Correlates of Memory Storage

  • Activity in different lobes of the cerebral cortex have been linked to the formation of memories.
  • The temporal and occipital lobes are associated with sensation and are thus involved in sensory memory.
  • Short-term memory is supported by brief patterns of neural communication that are dependent on regions of the prefrontal cortex, frontal lobe, and parietal lobe.
  • The processes of consolidating and storing long-term memories have been particularly associated with the prefrontal cortex, cerebrum, frontal lobe, and medial temporal lobe.
  • The temporal lobe is important for sensory memory, while the frontal lobe is associated with both short- and long-term memory.

• Human Language and the Brain

  • Broca's area, located in the frontal lobe of the brain, is linked to speech production, and recent studies have shown that it also plays a significant role in language comprehension.
  • The primary auditory cortex, located in the temporal lobe and connected to the auditory system, is organized so that it responds to neighboring frequencies in the other cells of the cortex.
  • The angular gyrus, located in the parietal lobe of the brain, is responsible for several language processes, including number processing, spatial recognition and attention.

• The Limbic System

  • The limbic system is a complex set of structures found on the central underside of the cerebrum, comprising inner sections of the temporal lobes and the bottom of the frontal lobe.
  • The hippocampus is found deep in the temporal lobe, and is shaped like a seahorse.
  • There is still much to be learned about this gyrus, but it is known that its frontal part links smells and sights with pleasant memories of previous emotions.
  • The basal ganglia is a group of nuclei lying deep in the subcortical white matter of the frontal lobes that organizes motor behavior.
  • This image shows the horned hippocampus deep within the temporal lobe.

• The Brain and Personality

  • The spike pierced Gage's frontal lobe, and the subsequent personality changes exhibited were associated with injury to this section of his brain.
  • The changes marked in Gage's personality after the brain injury spurred interest in the biological factors involved in personality and implicated the frontal lobe as an important area associated with higher-order personality functions.

• The Central Nervous System (CNS)

  • Each of these hemispheres is divided into four separate lobes:
  • the frontal lobe, which controls specialized motor control, learning, planning, and speech;
  • the temporal lobe, which controls hearing and some other speech functions.

• Physical Development in Adolescence

  • Adolescents often engage in increased risk-taking behaviors and experience heightened emotions during puberty; this may be due to the fact that the frontal lobes of their brains—which are responsible for judgment, impulse control, and planning—are still maturing until early adulthood (Casey, Tottenham, Liston, & Durston, 2005).
  • The development of the frontal lobe, in particular, is important during this stage.

• Neurocognitive Disorders

  • This loss results in gross atrophy of the affected regions, including degeneration in the temporal lobe and parietal lobe, and parts of the frontal cortex and cingulate gyrus.
  • This PET scan shows the image of the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease, indicating a loss of function in the temporal lobe.