FRONTAL LOBES--Planning, Organizing, Controlling

FRONTAL LOBES--Planning, Organizing, Controlling

🧩 THE FRONTAL LOBES

The frontal lobes are the largest lobes of the brain and are located at the front part of each cerebral hemisphere, just behind the forehead. They are often called the “control panel” or “command center” of the brain because they are responsible for complex thinking, planning, decision-making, emotions, and voluntary movement.

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📍 LOCATION

• Found at the front of the brain, directly behind the forehead.

• They are part of the cerebrum, the brain’s largest region.

• The central sulcus (a deep groove) separates the frontal lobes from the parietal lobes, while the lateral sulcus divides them from the temporal lobes.

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⚙️ MAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE FRONTAL LOBES

The frontal lobes are involved in higher-level brain functions that make us uniquely human — our ability to think, plan, and behave socially and emotionally.

Here’s what they do:

1. Motor Function (Movement Control)

   • The primary motor cortex, located in the rear part of the frontal lobe, controls voluntary muscle movement (like walking, talking, or writing).

   • Each side of the frontal lobe controls movement on the opposite side of the body.

2. Planning and Decision-Making

   • Helps you set goals, organize thoughts, and make choices.

   • Used in reasoning, judgment, and problem-solving — critical for everyday decisions.

3. Speech and Language Production

   • The Broca’s area (in the left frontal lobe for most people) controls speech production.

   • Damage here can cause Broca’s aphasia, leading to difficulty speaking or forming sentences.

4. Emotional Regulation and Behavior

   • The prefrontal cortex helps manage emotions, social behavior, and impulse control.

   • It helps you act appropriately in different situations (e.g., staying calm under stress).

5. Memory and Attention

   • Involved in working memory — the ability to hold and use information temporarily (like remembering a phone number).

   • Helps maintain focus and attention on tasks.

6. Personality and Creativity

   • The frontal lobes shape your personality traits, motivation, and moral values.

   • It’s where creative ideas, initiative, and individuality come from.

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⚠️ EFFECTS OF DAMAGE TO THE FRONTAL LOBES

Injury or damage to this region can cause noticeable changes in behavior, thinking, and movement, such as:

• Poor judgment or impulse control

• Difficulty planning or concentrating

• Changes in personality or mood

• Trouble speaking or forming sentences

• Loss of coordination or weakness on one side of the body

For example, famous patient Phineas Gage (1848) survived a severe frontal lobe injury but experienced a dramatic personality change — proving how critical this area is for personality and behavior.

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💡 IN SUMMARY

Function	Description
Movement Control	Directs voluntary muscle actions.
Thinking & Planning	Handles reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Speech Production	Controls speech via Broca’s area.
Emotion & Behavior	Regulates mood, impulse, and social interaction.
Memory & Focus	Supports working memory and concentration.
Personality	Shapes identity, creativity, and motivation.

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🧠 The frontal lobes make you who you are — the seat of your personality, intelligence, and control over your actions. They help you think ahead, speak clearly, behave responsibly, and live meaningfully.

Diagram of Brain

The biggest and most advanced part of the brain is the frontal lobe. (It's called the frontal lobe because it's in the front part of brain.) One job of the frontal lobe is planning. You have probably heard of "frontal lobotomies." At the turn of the century, this surgery was done on people who were very violent or who were in a psychiatric hospital because they were very agitated. Doctors used surgery to damage this area of the brain. 

Following this surgery, people became very passive and less violent. At first, scientists saw this as a great thing. Neurosurgery could stop behavioral problems such as violence. The problem was that the patients stopped doing a lot of other things. They didn't take care of themselves and they stopped many activities of daily living. 

They basically sat there. In head injury, individuals with frontal lobe impairment seem to lack motivation and have difficulty doing any task that requires multiple steps (e.g., fixing a car or planning a meal). They have problems with planning.

The frontal lobe is also involved in organizing. For a lot of activities, we need to do step A, then step B, then step C. We have to do things in order. That's what the frontal lobes help us do. When the frontal lobe is injured, there is a breakdown in the ability to sequence and organize. A common example is people who cook and leave out a step in the sequence. 

They forget to add an important ingredient or they don't turn the stove off. I've met a lot of patients who've burned or melted a lot of pans.

Additionally, the frontal lobes also play a very important role in controlling emotions. Deep in the middle of the brain are sections that control emotions. They're very primitive emotions that deal with hunger, aggression, and sexual drive. 

These areas send messages to other parts of the brain to DO SOMETHING. If you're mad, hit something or someone. If you're hungry, grab something and eat it. The frontal lobes "manage" emotions. In general, the frontal lobe has a NO or STOP function. If your emotions tell you to punch your boss, it's the frontal lobes that say "STOP or you are going to lose your job." People have often said to me "a little thing will set me off and I'm really mad." The frontal lobes failed to stop or turn off the emotional system.

On the other hand, we have talked about how the frontal lobes plan activities. The frontal lobes may fail to plan for some types of emotion. For example, sexual interest involves some level of planning or preparation. Without this planning, there is a lack of sexual interest. 

A lack of planning can also affect the expression of anger. I've had some family members say "You know, the head injury actually improved him, he's not such a hot-head anymore." If you listen very carefully, you're also going to hear "he's not as motivated anymore." Remember, the frontal lobe plans activities as well as controls emotions.

Diagram of Brain Video