Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society

Table of Contents - 31 August 2011 - Volume 17, Issue 05  

Short Review

Functions of the Frontal Lobes: Relation to Executive Functions

Donald T. Stussa1 c1

a1 Ontario Brain Institute, Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Proceeding from the assumptions that specific frontal regions control discrete functions and that very basic cognitive processes can be systematically manipulated to reveal those functions, recent reports have demonstrated consistent anatomical/functional relationships: dorsomedial for energization, left dorsolateral for task setting, and right dorsolateral for monitoring. There is no central executive. There are, instead, numerous domain general processes discretely distributed across several frontal regions that act in concert to accomplish control. Beyond these functions, there are two additional “frontal” anatomical/functional relationships: ventral–medial/orbital for emotional and behavioral regulation, and frontopolar for integrative—even meta-cognitive—functions. (JINS, 2011, 17, 759–765)

(Received December 15 2010)

(Revised April 15 2011)

(Accepted April 15 2011)

(Online publication May 24 2011)

Keywords

Correspondence:

c1 Correspondence and reprint requests to: Donald T. Stuss, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1. E-mail: dstuss@rotman-baycrest.on.ca

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