What is the frontal lobe and how does it work?

We explain the functions and morphology of this brain region.

The frontal lobe is one of the most studied and most interesting parts of the brain from the point of view of psychology, neuropsychology and neuroscience in general. It is not only known for the fact that it is the largest lobe in the human brain, but also for the very important functions and capacities whose existence important functions and capacities whose existence we owe to this structure.What are these capabilities?

• You may be interested in this post: "The lobes of the brain and their different functions".

Basically, the functions of the frontal lobe are all those that we attribute exclusively to the rational beingswith their own criteria, with the possibility of acting according to complex strategies and well prepared to live in very large societies.

The importance of the frontal lobe

The difference between having a frontal lobe like that of healthy adult human beings and not having them is the difference between being an organism basically guided by impulses and emotions or another one that, despite being fundamentally motivated by emotional states generated by the limbic system, is capable of postponing these impulses to follow elaborate plans and opt to achieve abstract goals or those located at a very distant point in time.

However, the role of the frontal lobe goes beyond being a collection of neurons and glia that enables long-term thinking. We will explore its potential in the following lines.

What is the frontal lobe like?

The frontal lobe is an anatomical structure located in the most frontal part of the brain, that is, closest to the face. It is separated from the parietal lobe by the Roland's Fissure**o Fissure (or Central Fissure) and from the temporal lobe by the Sylvius Fissure (or Lateral Fissure). In addition, in the human brain, the frontal lobes are the largest of all, occupying approximately one third of the entire cerebral cortex. occupy approximately one third of the entire cerebral cortex..

Although it can be considered one of the many parts of the brain, it must be taken into account that the frontal lobes do not work on their own, and that they only make sense as a brain structure when they work in coordination with the rest of the brain.

Delving into details

It is often said that the frontal lobe is the part of the brain that differentiates us the most from other animals.. Although it is true that the brain of our species is different from the rest in many aspects that affect its globality, this statement is, in part, true.

Why is this true? Because our cerebral lobes are not only the largest proportionally, but also the only ones that make possible the existence of a great variety of unique functions and capacities.

The importance of executive functions

The frontal lobes of the brain stand out especially for the fact that they are very much involved in the so called executive functions.. These functions are those that we associate with cognition and decision making: the use of memory, planning, goal selection, and the resolution of specific problems that have to be addressed by focusing attention on specific aspects.

In general terms, it can be said that the frontal lobe of each hemisphere serves to convert information about the environment into material from which to decide what to do and to design a plan of action to intervene on our surroundings. In a way, it is the part of the brain thanks to which we stop becoming passive subjects and become active agents, with the capacity to change things in response to specific objectives chosen by us based on what we have been learning.

The frontal lobe does not operate in isolation

Of course, it does not do all this alone. It is impossible to understand how the frontal lobe works without also knowing how other structures of the brain work, from which it not only receives information, but also how the frontal lobe works.It is impossible to understand how the frontal lobe works without also knowing how other structures of the brain work, from which it not only receives information but also works in coordination with it in real time and at breakneck speed. Thus, for example, to initiate a sequence of voluntary movements, the frontal lobe needs the basal ganglia to be activated, which are related to the execution of automated movements resulting from past experiences and continuous repetition.

Some basic functions of the frontal lobe

Among the executive functions and processes that we associate with the frontal lobe we can find the following:

Meta-thinking

That is, the ability to think abstractly about things that are only present in our imagination, since we do not evoke them because they are being registered by our senses at that particular moment.This is the ability to think abstractly about things that are only present in our imagination, since they are not evoked by the fact that they are being registered by our senses at that particular moment. It is also important to note that this type of thinking can have various degrees of abstraction, which includes the possibility of thinking about how we think. It is in this type of process that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies are involved.

Working memory management

Lesions in certain parts of the frontal lobe cause the working memory to be affected. This means that the frontal lobe has a role in maintaining in a "transient" type of memory information related to a problem that must be solved in real time, and that once solved, it will lose its value. Thanks to this cognitive capacity, we can carry out complex tasks in real time, tasks that require taking into account different variables and pieces of information.

Long-term ideation

It is currently believed that the frontal lobe allows us to project past experiences into future situationsThe frontal lobe is currently believed to be able to project past experiences into future situations, all based on the rules and dynamics that have been learned along the way. In turn, this allows us to place objectives, goals and even needs at a point far removed from the present, months or years into the future.

Planning

Thinking about the future makes it possible to imagine plans and strategiesand strategies, as well as their possible outcomes and consequences. The prefrontal lobe not only "creates" possible future scenes in our minds, but also helps us navigate them in pursuit of our own goals.

Thus, while other parts of the brain are designed to orient us toward more short-term goals, the frontal lobes allow us to aspire to goals of a more abstract nature, thanks to which we are able to cooperate, since the chains of actions that lead to achieving them are long and complex enough to accommodate more people.

Control of one's own behavior

The orbital area of the frontal lobe (i.e. the lower part of the frontal lobe, which is close to the eye sockets) is in constant contact with impulses coming from the limbic system, the structure in which emotions originate. That is why one of its functions is to one of its functions is to dampen the effects of these signals.The aim is to prevent certain emotional outbursts and impulses that need to be satisfied as soon as possible from hindering plans that have a long-term goal. Ultimately, all of this facilitates self-control.

Social cognition

The frontal lobes allow us to attribute mental and emotional states to othersand this influences our behavior. In this way, we internalize possible mental states of the people around us. This, together with the fact that, as we have seen, the frontal lobes allow us to plan with other people in mind, means that these areas of the cerebral cortex predispose us to create complex social tissues.

Parts of the frontal lobe

We could spend days, weeks or even months recapitulating all the sub-structures that can be found in an ordinary frontal lobe, since it is always possible to break down one part into smaller parts. However, it can be said that the main areas of the frontal lobe are as follows:

Motor cortex

The motor cortex is the part of the frontal lobe involved in the processes of planning, execution and control of voluntary movements. movements. It can be understood that it is in this part of the brain that information about the environment and about one's own information that is processed in the brain is converted into action, i.e., into electrical signals intended to activate muscles in the body.

The motor cortex is located just next to Rolando's fissure, and therefore receives a lot of information from the somatosensory area located just across this "border", in the parietal lobe.

The motor cortex is divided into primary motor cortex, premotor cortex and supplementary motor area.

Primary motor cortex (M1)

It is in this area that most of the nerve impulses that will travel down the spinal cord to activate specific muscles originate.

Premotor cortex (PMC)

The pre-motor cortex is the part of the frontal lobe in charge of making learning from past experiences influence movement technique. Therefore, it plays a very important role in the movements that we constantly perform and of which we are "experts", such as those associated with postural control and proximal movements (i.e., those performed with parts of the trunk or areas very close to it). It works by receiving information from the basal ganglia and thalamus, especially.

Supplementary motor area (SMA)

It is involved in the realization of very precise movements, such as those that require the use of the fingers of the hands in a coordinated manner.

2. Prefrontal cortex

Many of the characteristics and traits that we attribute uniquely to our species have their neural basis in this region of the frontal lobe: the ability to repress impulses and to think in abstract ideas, the imagination of possible future situations based on what we have seen in the past, and the internalization of the mind.The ability to imagine possible future situations based on what we have seen in the past, and the internalization of social norms. In fact, some cognitive faculties and functions that are normally attributed to the frontal lobes in general, exist, in particular, thanks to the prefrontal cortex, which is the most recently evolved region of the cortex.

Broca's area

This area is involved in the performance of specific movements to articulate speech.. Therefore, signals are emitted from here to the tongue, larynx and mouth.

Bibliographical references:

• Goldberg E. (2001). The executive brain.
• Shammi P, Stuss DT. (1999). Humour appreciation: a role of the right frontal lobe. Brain.
• Zalla T, Pradat-Diehl y P, Sirigu A. (2003). Perception of action boundaries in patients with frontal lobe damage. Neuropsychologia.