What is the frontal lobe and how does it work?

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

• 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 beings, with 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 one is the difference between being a organism basically guided by impulses and emotions or another that, despite being fundamentally motivated by emotional states generated by the

limbic system, is able to postpone these impulses to follow elaborate plans and choose to achieve abstract objectives or located at a very distant point in time.

However, the role of the frontal lobe goes beyond being a set of neurons and glia that allows 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 fissure ** or (or Central Fissure) and the temporal lobe by the Silvio fissure (or Lateral Fissure). Furthermore, in the human brain the frontal lobes are the largest of all, since occupy about a third of the entire cerebral cortex.

Although it can be considered one of the many parts of the brain, it must be borne in mind 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 most differentiates us from other animals. While it is true that the brain of our species is different from those of the rest in many more respects that affect its globality, this statement is, in part, true.

Why? Because our brain 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 capabilities.

The importance of executive functions

The frontal lobes of the brain stand out especially for the fact that they are very involved in the calls executive functions. These functions are what we associate with the cognition and decision-making: the use of memory, planning, the selection of objectives, 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 in matters from which to decide what to do and design an action plan to intervene on what we surrounds. In some way, it is the part of the brain thanks to which we stop becoming passive subjects to become active agents, with the ability to change things responding to specific objectives chosen by us based on what we have been learning.

The frontal lobe does not operate in isolation

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

Some basic functions of the frontal lobe

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

Meta-thought

Namely, the ability to think abstractly about things that are only present in our imagination, since we do not evoke by the fact of being registered by our senses at that specific 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 intervene.

Management of working memory

Injury to certain parts of the frontal lobe they affect working memory. This means that the frontal lobe has a role in maintaining a "transient" type of memory. information related to a problem that must be solved in real time, and once it is solved they will lose their value. Thanks to this cognitive ability, 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 projecting past experiences in 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 ahead.

Planning

Think ahead allows you to imagine plans and strategies, in addition to its possible results and consequences. The prefrontal lobe not only "creates" possible future scenes in our mind, but also helps us navigate through them looking for our own goals.

So 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 short-term nature. abstract, thanks to which we are able to cooperate, since the chains of actions that lead to achieving them are long and complex enough so that they have room for more people.

Control of own behavior

The orbital zone of the frontal lobe (that is, the lower area of ​​the frontal lobe, which is close to the orbits of the eyes) is constantly relationship with the impulses that come from the area of ​​the limbic system, the structure in which emotions originate. That is why one of its functions is to dampen the effects of these signals, to avoid that certain emotional outbursts and impulses that need to be satisfied as soon as possible hinder the plans whose goal is located in the long term. Ultimately, all of this facilitates self control.

Social cognition

The frontal lobes allow us to attribute mental and emotional states to others, and that 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 taking into account other people, makes these areas of the cerebral cortex predispose us to create social tissues complex.

Frontal lobe parts

We could spend days, weeks and even months recapitulating all the substructures that can be found in a common and current frontal lobe, since it is always possible to reel off to infinity one part in other more little. However, it can be said that the main areas of the frontal lobe are as follows:

1. Motor cortex

The motor cortex is the part of the frontal lobe involved in the processes of planning, execution and control of movements volunteers. It can be understood that it is in this part of the brain where the information about the environment and about the information itself that It is processed in the brain and is converted into action, that is, into electrical signals designed to activate muscles in the body.

The motor cortex is located right next to the Roland fissure, and therefore receives a lot of information coming from the somatosensory area that is just on the other side of this "border", in the lobe parietal.

The motor cortex is divided into the primary motor cortex, the pre-motor cortex, and the supplemental motor area.

Primary motor cortex (M1)

It is in this area where a large part of the nerve impulses that will go down the spine to activate specific muscles originate.

Pre-motor cortex (APM)

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

Supplemental motor area (AMS)

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

2. Prefrontal cortex

Many of the characteristics and traits that we attribute exclusively to our species have their neural base in this region of the frontal lobe: the ability to suppress impulses and to think of abstract ideas, the imagination of possible future situations based on what we have seen in the past and the internalization of social norms. Actually, some cognitive faculties and functions that are normally attributed to the frontal lobes in general, They exist, specifically, thanks to the prefrontal cortex, which is the region of the cortex that has evolved the most Recently.

3. Drill area

This area is involved in performing specific movements to articulate speech. Therefore, signals are emitted from here that will go to the tongue, larynx and mouth.

Bibliographic references:

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