Frontal Lobes of the Brain: What Functions Do They Control?

The frontal lobes of the brain are the most anterior, which means they are positioned right behind your forehead and at the top-front of your head. There is a left lobe and a right lobe. A good brain map is at the bottom of the page here: www.neuroskills.com/brain.shtml.

The frontal lobe is surrounded by five other important brain sections: the parietal lobe, the occipital lobe, the cerebellum, the brain stem, and the temporal lobe. The frontal lobe is a critical center and it controls the "essence" of our humanity, according to Dr. Donald Stuss of The Rotman Research Institute.

The frontal lobes, which are also called the cerebral cortex, are the seat of emotions and judgments related to sympathy, which is the ability to feel sorrow for someone else's suffering, and empathy, which the ability to understand another's feelings and problems. They are also the seat of understanding humor, including subtle witticisms and word plays. The frontal lobes also recognizes sarcasm and irony. And they are where recognition of deception occurs. The frontal lobes control the processes called "mentalizing" upon which our socialization is based; this is the ability to understand another's mental processes.

Other functions that the frontal lobes control are the functioning of sequencing events, which is the ability to plan a series of movements needed to perform a multi-step task, like making a sandwich. Spontaneity of facial expression and of interaction with others is also controlled by the frontal lobes as is the function of flexibility in thinking processes, for example, being able to conceive of and choose between complex alternatives in a social environment. The problematic opposite of this flexibility is perseveration, which is the fixed persistence of a single thought. Both attentiveness of focus on a single task and resistance to emotional lability, which is commonly referred to as mood changes or mood swings, are controlled by the frontal lobes.

The ability to solve problems, which often depends on flexible thinking, and the ability to correctly express language are both controlled by the frontal lobes, as well. In addition to this, our personalities are controlled by the frontal lobes. This is not all, though, as they also control movement, initiation, emotional impulsivity, memory, sexual behavior, and judgment.

These all-important lobes are not identical in function, there is significant asymmetricality between the left and right lobes. The left is most predominantly language related while the right is most predominantly non-verbal. You have most likely heard it said that the left brain is the source of logic, which tends to be language based, and the right is creative, which tends to be non-verbal. In fact you may know or be an artist who cannot respond verbally while immersed in the creative -- right brain, non-verbal -- process. It is significant to note, however, that modern technological advances in MRIs, PETs and CT Scans show that many people pose exceptions to this left/right divide because their brains involve both lobes in nearly all behaviors. In fact, one suggestion is that hook-handed writers, those who arc their wrists and write toward themselves, have full language dominance on left and right, with no subordination at all between the lobes.

The frontal lobes are of paramount significance in determining our daily capabilities, personality manifestations, social interactions and judgments and decisions. The cerebral cortex, or frontal lobes, are indeed the seat of our essence and nature.