frontal lobes
Cognition's executive region
The frontal lobes are the front portions of the brain's cerebral hemispheres, located behind the forehead.
They govern executive functions—planning, decision-making, impulse control, and social behavior.
Damage to the frontal lobes can alter personality and judgment while leaving other cognitive abilities intact: The accident affected his frontal lobes, and he was never quite the same person afterward.
Arranging for future events
- decision-makingProcess of choosing actions
- impulse controlRegulating sudden urges
- working memoryTemporary cognitive holding space
- attentionFocused mental awareness
cognitive flexibility · problem-solving · abstract thinking · goal-setting · sequencing · organization · prioritization · self-monitoring
Brain region controlling movement
- ventromedialToward front-center of body
- gyrusCerebral cortex ridge
- sulcusGroove in tissue
- neocortexHigher cognition brain region
Reduced behavioral restraint
- impulsivityActing without considering consequences
- apathyAbsence of feeling
- social behaviorActions within groups
- emotional regulationManaging internal feeling states
motivation · irritability · inappropriate behavior · flat affect · perseveration · insight · self-awareness · empathy
Visualizing nervous system structure
- fMRIMagnetic neural activity imaging
- EEGNeural activity recording
- brain injuryDamage to cranial organ
- TBIBrain damage from impact
lobotomy · neuroplasticity · lateralization · traumatic brain injury · stroke · tumor · dementia · frontotemporal
Self-initiated bodily action
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- Broca's aphasiaLanguage disorder affecting speech output
- apraxiaVoluntary movement execution deficit
- muscle controlVoluntary movement regulation
planning
Arranging for future events
- decision-makingProcess of choosing actions
- impulse controlRegulating sudden urges
- working memoryTemporary cognitive holding space
attention · cognitive flexibility · problem-solving · abstract thinking · goal-setting · sequencing · organization · prioritization · self-monitoring · task-switching
motor cortex
Brain region controlling movement
- ventromedialToward front-center of body
- gyrusCerebral cortex ridge
- sulcusGroove in tissue
neocortex · cerebrum · gray matter · white matter · cerebral hemisphere
disinhibition
Reduced behavioral restraint
- impulsivityActing without considering consequences
- apathyAbsence of feeling
- social behaviorActions within groups
emotional regulation · motivation · irritability · inappropriate behavior · flat affect · perseveration · insight · self-awareness · empathy · behavioral control
neuroimaging
Visualizing nervous system structure
- fMRIMagnetic neural activity imaging
- EEGNeural activity recording
- brain injuryDamage to cranial organ
TBI · lobotomy · neuroplasticity · lateralization · traumatic brain injury · stroke · tumor · dementia · frontotemporal · neurodegenerative
voluntary movement
Self-initiated bodily action
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- Broca's aphasiaLanguage disorder affecting speech output
- apraxiaVoluntary movement execution deficit
frontal lobesvisual cortex
Brain's sight-processing region
cerebellum · limbic system · amygdala · temporal lobes · sensory cortex
frontal lobescerebellum
Movement coordination organ
brainstem · hindbrain · medulla oblongata · spinal cord · pons