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(2009) From attention to goal-directed behavior, Dordrecht, Springer.
Prefrontal cortex and control of behavior – evidence from neuropsychological studies
A. Slachevsky, P. Reyes, G. Rojas, J. R. Silva
pp. 231-248
"Few subjects in neurology have been associated with as much and paradox as the behavioral afflictions of the prefrontal cortex" (Marsel Mesulam, 2002).The case of Phineas Gage, the first well-described patient with a prefrontal lesion, revealed that this sort of lesion could cause severe trouble in everyday life and a profound disturbance of personality. Disturbances of patients with prefrontal lesions are a consequence of disruptions in the main role of the prefrontal cortex: executive control, i.e., a cognitive function underlying the human faculty to act or think not only in reaction to external events but also to internal goals and states. The neuropsychological study of patients with prefrontal lesions suggests the existence of three dimensions of executive control subserved by different prefrontal regions: emotional, motivational, and cognitive. Indeed, damage to the prefrontal cortex may lead to a set of symptoms collectively known as "dysexecutive syndrome," characterized by changes in those dimensions. In this chapter, we discuss how the neu-ropsychological method, i.e., the study of brain—behavior relationship in patients with brain lesions, contributes to a better understanding of the role of the prefrontal cortex in behavior control.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-70573-4_12
Full citation:
Slachevsky, A. , Reyes, P. , Rojas, G. , Silva, J. R. (2009)., Prefrontal cortex and control of behavior – evidence from neuropsychological studies, in F. Aboitiz & D. Cosmelli (eds.), From attention to goal-directed behavior, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 231-248.
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