He became “rude” in speech and demeanor and had little impulse control. Gage’s personality dramatically changed, and the once mild-mannered worker struggled to stick to even simple plans. Though Gage survived, he lost his eye and much of his personality. Gage survived after a railroad spike impaled a portion of his frontal lobe at the age of 25 years. Managing attention, including selective attention: When the frontal lobe cannot properly manage attention, conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may develop.Įarly understanding and writings about the function of the frontal lobe came from studying a railroad worker, Phineas Gage, in 1848.
Dopamine is a brain chemical that helps support feelings of reward and motivation. Reward-seeking behavior and motivation: Many of the brain’s dopamine-sensitive neurons are in the frontal lobe.Damage to the frontal lobe can impact an individual’s personality.
Forming personality: The complex interplay of impulse control, memory, and other tasks helps form an individual’s key characteristics.Understanding and reacting to the feelings of others: The frontal lobe is vital for empathy.However, research suggests it plays a key role in forming long-term memories. Forming memories: Virtually every brain region plays a role in memory, so the frontal lobe is not unique.Comparing objects: The frontal lobe helps people categorize and classify objects and distinguish one item from another.Some motor skills: The frontal lobe houses the primary motor cortex, which helps control voluntary movements, including walking and running.Damage to this area can lead to difficulty with fluent speech. Speech and language production: Broca’s area, a region in the frontal lobe, helps put thoughts into words.Some of the many other functions the frontal lobe plays in daily functions include: People with frontal lobe damage may find it difficult to gather information, remember previous experiences, and make decisions based on this input. The frontal lobe plays a key role in future planning, including self-management and decision-making. What is more, the brain may “rewire” itself to compensate for an injury. As such, it is a mistake to attribute any one role of the brain to a single region. Memory formation, for example, depends on sensory input, which depends on numerous areas of the brain. The frontal lobe works alongside other brain regions and contributes to overall brain function. Scientists are still learning about what these neurons do and how they work.
The brain is a complex organ, with billions of cells called neurons working together. This can determine how a brain injury impacts the body. Similarly, the right frontal lobe controls muscles on the left side of the body. So, the left frontal lobe affects muscles on the right side of the body. The two sides of the brain largely control operations on the opposite sides of the body. It consists of two paired lobes: the left and right frontal cortex.Īs the name implies, the location of the frontal lobe is near the front of the head, under the frontal skull bones and near the forehead.Īll mammals have a frontal lobe, though the size and complexity vary between species. The frontal lobe is part of the brain’s cerebral cortex. Share on Pinterest SEAN GLADWELL/Getty Images
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