The case of Theona, a 62-year-old woman, illustrates the effects of a stroke on the right frontal lobe. The damage resulted in both motor and behavioral deficits. She experienced difficulty moving her left leg, demonstrating the right hemisphere's control over the body's left side. Additionally, damage to her prefrontal cortex led to a loss of impulse control, evidenced by behavioral changes like eating unpaid items in a store, which highlights the prefrontal cortex's role in judgment and reasoning.

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Located at the front of the brain and extending back to the central sulcus, the frontal lobe receives and coordinates signals from all senses. It is involved in a wide range of higher-order functions, including reasoning, motor control, emotion, language, impulse control, and cognitive tasks such as thinking, speech, and problem-solving. Key areas within the frontal lobe include Broca's area, the Prefrontal Cortex, and the Motor Cortex.

Frontal Lobe

The right hemisphere of the frontal lobe is involved in several cognitive functions, including episodic memory, social awareness, and the retrieval of information. It also contains the primary motor centers that control voluntary movement on the left side of the body, meaning damage to this area can lead to motor impairment on the contralateral side.

Right Hemisphere of Frontal Lobe

Strokes, which result from an interruption of blood flow to a part of the brain, cause a localized loss of brain function. By studying the specific behavioral changes or deficits that follow a localized stroke, researchers are able to link those functional impairments directly to the damaged region, thereby identifying the normal role of that specific brain area.

Using Strokes to Study Brain Area Functions

A part of the frontal lobe that is responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning and focuses on "in the moment" or rash behavior (decision-making, problem solving, and so on). This area is also responsible for the development of personality. The PFC has a handful of (not universally agreed upon) subdivisions:

- Dorsomedial
- Dorsolateral
- Ventromedial
- Ventrolateral
- Orbitofrontal

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

 It is the part of the frontal lobe, anterior to the central sulcus, it plays a role in motor control.
It has been found that neurons that control, movement in the precentral gyrus are organized into an orderly map of muscles of the other side of the body. 

Precentral Gyrus

This fissure divides the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe (R)

Central Sulcus

Case Study of Theona: Stroke in the Right Frontal Lobe

Brain imaging studies reveal structural and functional abnormalities in the frontal lobes of children with ADHD. This brain region, which is rich in dopamine, is crucial for inhibiting behavior. Compared to their peers without the disorder, children with ADHD tend to have a smaller frontal lobe volume and exhibit reduced activation in this area when performing mental tasks. These neurological differences are thought to be a key explanation for the hyperactive and uncontrolled behaviors characteristic of ADHD.

Frontal Lobe Abnormalities in ADHD

Based on the changes in behavior and cognitive function described in the case study, which major division of the brain is most likely damaged? Justify your answer by connecting the patient's specific symptoms to the known functions of that brain region.

Behavioral Changes After Injury

The right hemisphere of the fontal lobe is associated with the following conditions:
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Executive planning
- Poor executive functioning

Right Frontal Lobe Associated Conditions

The rostrolateral prefrontal cortex is involved in metacognition and introspection,  the evaluation of self-generation information, the processing of complex and abstract information, and the integration of multiple higher-order cognitive processes in service of a behavioral goal.

Rostrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (Brodmann's Area 10 / Frontopolar Cortex)

The orbitofrontal cortex is connected to primary sensory regions and the  limbic system, including the amygdala, striatum, and hypothalamus. The orbitofrontal cortex is essential for understanding the precise relationship between stimuli and motivational outcomes. It may generate more flexible assessments of stimuli and experience. The orbitofrontal cortex is also implicated in emotion regulation, specifically down-regulating and reappraising negative emotional states. This regulatory function may be part of a broader role for the orbitofrontal cortex in the self-monitoring and integration of cognitive and emotional cues in decision-making. 

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