Frontal lobe syndromes

Abstract

The frontal lobes contain a complex set of diverse anatomic regions that form multiple distinct, complex networks with cortical and subcortical regions. Damage to these cortical–subcortical networks can have dramatic behavioral consequences, ranging from apathy to impairments in executive functioning. This chapter provides a brief overview of the common syndromes caused by damage to the mediodorsal and dorsolateral prefrontal circuits, followed by a more detailed review of the syndrome—sometimes referred to as pseudopsychopathy or acquired sociopathy—associated with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal circuit.