Chapter 8 - Frontal Lobes

Question 1

Anatomy of the frontal lobes

Answer 1

• 13 different areas
• 3rd of the cortex is devoted to the frontal lobe

Question 2

Frontal lobe function, what do tests measure?

Answer 2

• sequencing
• abstract reasoning
• spontaneous behavior

Question 3

Common test for frontal lobe dysfunction

Answer 3

• controlled oral word association test - name words that start w/ a specific letter
• wisconsin card sorting test - sort cards based on an unknown set of rules based on trial and error

Question 4

Tower of London and Tower of Hanoi

Answer 4

• standardized frontal lobe test
• London - sort beads in a set # of moves in a set amount of time
• Hanoi - sort rings in order of size w/n a set amount of time and moves

Question 5

6 elements test

Answer 5

• nonstandardized
• name events
• give pt set of arithmetic ?s, a set of objects to name, etc

Question 6

Precentral/motor symptoms of frontal lobe injury

Answer 6

• have trouble copying motor movement
• trouble copying facial expressions, ID objs by touch and switching btwn hand and finger movement
• trouble planning and organizing motor movements and behaviors

Question 7

Sensory/perceptual symptoms of frontal lobe injury

Answer 7

• deficit in taste and smell, resulting in deficit in flavor

Question 8

Prefrontal/cognitive symptoms of frontal lobe injury

Answer 8

• spontaneous behavior - lethargic, don’t take initiative
• planning/strategy formation - lack of goal oriented behavior, plans are vague
• attention - easily distractible
• utilization behavior - use of objects to complete tasks or based on body language

Question 9

Prefrontal/memory symptoms of frontal lobe injury

Answer 9

• encoding and retrieval of memory deficit
• implicit and explicit (important in frontal lobe) memory deficit
• working memory deficit (verbal if L, spatial if R)

Question 10

What are the two types of encoding?

Answer 10

• deep - requires more thought, involves prefrontal areas, EX: how a word makes you feel
  - involves frontal lobe
• shallow - requires less thought, EX: determining if letters are in order

Question 11

Broca’s area

Answer 11

• L frontal lobe
• production of speech

Question 12

Broca’s aphasia

Answer 12

• nonfluent aphasia
• understand/comprehend speech, but have trouble w/ producing it
• struggle w/ getting words out (tip of the tongue phenomenon), able to produce telegraphic speech more

Question 13

What cortex is important for personality and social behavior?

Answer 13

orbital

Question 14

Social behavior and personality deficits as a result of frontal lobe damage

Answer 14

• lack of behavioral and sexual inhibition (childish, impulsive, irritability, public exposure, etc.)
• lack of interest in things, lethargic (pseudo-depression)
• lack of insight and awareness
• lack of social graces/manners
• repetitive behavior if left on their own
• easily persuaded

Question 15

Phineas Gage

Answer 15

• tamping iron through L frontal cortex
• EX of behavior and personality deficits as a result of frontal lobe damage

Question 15

Damasio’s somatic marker hypothesis

Answer 15

• attempts to explain the role in the frontal cortex in emotion and social behavior
• learning what you’re doing wrong through punishment and how to inhibit wrong behaviors

Question 16

Norman and Shallice’s supervisory attentional system

Answer 16

• specifies how thought and action schemata become activated or suppressed for routine and non-routine circumstances

Question 16

Rolls’ theory of orbito-frontal function

Answer 16

• orbital cortex is involved in processing of taste and olfaction
• establishes the reward value for secondary reinforcers