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Brain and Behavior - Frontal Control of the Limbic System

4 important questions on Brain and Behavior - Frontal Control of the Limbic System

What role does the orbital frontal region play?

The orbital frontal region lies on the underside of the frontal lobe, just above the eyes. This brain region is particularly important for impulse control, for the inhibition of dangerous or reckless actions.

People with damage to their orbital frontal cortex show disinhibited, impulsive, and socially unacceptable behavior. The case of Phineas Gage is a famous example of orbital frontal damage.

Orbital frontal inhibition probably works through linking representations of future events with respresentations of past or future punishment.

What is the role of the superior medial frontal cortex?

New research suggests that a part of the frontal lobe, the superior medial frontal cortex, is involved with social cognition via connection emotional memories with cognition.

This part of the brain, which lies in the middle of the frontal lobe, has been linked to the perception of self, of others, and of mental states.

Although this research is still fairly new, it may be quite radical, in that it provides the first evidence of the neurobiological substrates of certain aspects of personality.

Does an immature frontal lobe mean poor emotional regulation?

As the frontal lobe is the last to develop across childhood, and in fact is not fully developed until adulthood, emotional control also does not fully mature until adulthood. This is intuitively obvious if we think of the relative emotional immaturity of children and even adolescents.

What happens when the frontal lobe deteriorates?

When the frontal lobe deteriorates, we can see re-emergence of more primitive behaviors that had previously been inhibited by the frontal lobe. The Babinski reflex and frontal release signs are examples of this. Likewise, there is less controll over primitive limbic responses.

Consequently, the person loses social judgment, impulse control, and the ability to plan and to analyze situations effectively. This is why people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias need continuous supervision. When the frontal lobe goes, the person in effect regresses to childhood.