Intellectual and cognitive functions in patient with frontal lobe injury

Psychologists have preferred to study the effects of localized brain lesions rather than the diffuse damage resulting from the acceleration-deceleration effects of head injuries.Intellectual and cognitive functions give a characteristic pattern of activity in frontal cortex. To test the causal role of this region, we examined cognitive functions of a 35 years old woman with frontal cortical lesion. The results suggest that cognitive deficits reflect the extent of damage to a restricted but complex brain circuit comprising specific regions within frontal cortex. For this purpose lesion data are critical , but classically they have painted a confusing picture of brain systems linked to intelligence. we have highlighted a special role of the frontal cortex that intelligence is preserved after frontal lobe damage . Clinical assessment showed verbal communication had less impairment ; but she had a remarkable intellectual and memory impairment in cognitive flexibility, planning, goal setting , behavioural control , problem solving, spontaneity, memory, initiation, judgement, impulse control, social and sexual behavior. So Frontal lobe damage seems to have an impact on divergent thinking and intellectual abilities.