Synopsis of function and dysfunction of the frontal lobe

The cortex of the frontal lobe reaches maximum phylogenetic development in the brain of the human. It is cortex devoted to the organization of action in all neurobiological and cognitive domains - skeletal movement, eye movement, speech and logical reasoning. Thus the frontal cortex may be called 'motor cortex' in the widest sense. The association cortex of the frontal lobe, commonly called prefrontal cortex, is in charge of the temporal organization of behaviour, speech and thinking. Prefrontal lesions frequently lead to disorders of temporal organization, especially in thinking and the spoken language. The prefrontal cortex serves temporal organization by coordinating three cognitive operations that are essential for the formation of 'gestalts' in the time domain: (i) preparatory set; (ii) working memory; and (iii) inhibitory control of interference. Temporal organization is disturbed in the schizophrenic patient, probably because of a functional disorder of the connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and other cortical areas, as well as limbic and striatal structures (a 'disconnection syndrome').