The frontal cortex is a crucial part of the mammalian brain, responsible for higher functions, motor skills, and problem-solving. It continues to mature for about 20 years after birth and is affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Damage to the frontal cortex can cause personality changes, and a famous case is that of Phineas Gage, who survived a metal rod driven through his frontal lobe but had a completely unrecognizable personality afterward. Lobotomies used to be performed on patients with severe mental illness, but they often had devastating effects.
The frontal cortex, also known as the frontal lobe, is a vital section of the mammalian brain. In humans, the frontal cortex is in the front of the head, just behind the face. The frontal lobes are considered to be the hub of most higher function and understanding, and many scientists believe that most behavioral traits, motor skills, and problem-solving tactics are based in this area of the brain.
The anatomy and function of the frontal cortex are complex and not fully understood. The frontal lobe is a hotbed of neurons, which respond to both external and internal stimuli and form patterns and pathways when the stimuli are repeated. The anterior part of the cortex is thought to be responsible for personality, behavior, and problem solving, while the posterior part of the frontal lobe is related to motor functions.
According to some scientists, the human frontal cortex continues to mature for about 20 years after birth. Up to this point, the neural pathways remain somewhat unspecified in a person’s brain. While science hasn’t discovered an exact explanation for how the brain matures, some studies suggest that early childhood maturation may be controlled primarily by genetic factors, while brain maturation in late childhood and around puberty may be due to environmental factors . What these studies seem to suggest is that life experiences in later stages of development help form the patterns and pathways of the frontal cortex, creating the pillars of individual personality.
In the early treatment of mental disorders, it was not uncommon for physicians to perform frontal lobotomies on patients with severe mental illness. In a lobotomy, part of the frontal lobe is removed, often with devastating effect. While lobotomies can often repress dangerous or harmful personality tendencies, the procedure could also erase memory, speech, motor function, problem-solving skills, as well as completely destroy the person’s original personality.
Due to the location of the frontal cortex, it is quite easy to injure yourself on impact. Area damage can cause severe personality changes, including an increased likelihood of risky behavior due to an inability to process environmental conditions correctly. Studies have shown that lesions of the frontal cortex rarely have a negative effect on intelligence quotient (IQ) scores, as complex problem solving skills are not necessarily used to perform well on IQ tests.
A famous case of frontal lobe damage is that of Phineas Gage, a 19th-century construction foreman who survived a serious accident in which a metal rod was driven through his frontal lobe. Gage lost vision in one eye, but has otherwise made an apparently complete physical recovery from the accident. However, in further investigation of the case, doctors uncovered numerous complaints from friends and relatives of Gage suggesting that he survived the crash only to recover with a completely unrecognizable personality. Gage is something of a legend in the world of neural function, as his extensively studied case was one of the first clear situations linking personality to frontal cortex function.
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