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Prefrontal Cortex and Control of Behavior – Evidence from Neuropsychological Studies

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From Attention to Goal-Directed Behavior

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“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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Avda. Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile

    A. Slachevsky

  2. Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas y Departamento de Ciencias Neurológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Avda. Independencia 1027, Santiago, Chile

    P. Reyes

  3. Laboratorio de Imágenes Médicas, Servicio de Neurorradiología, Instituto de Neurocirugía Asenjo, Santiago, Chile

    G. Rojas

  4. Departamento de Salud Mental y Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile

    J. R. Silva

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  1. A. Slachevsky
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  2. P. Reyes
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  3. G. Rojas
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  4. J. R. Silva
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Correspondence to A. Slachevsky .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Psiquiatría, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta, Santiago, 391, Chile

    Francisco Aboitiz

  2. Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile

    Diego Cosmelli

  3. Laboratorio de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Escuela de Medicina, Piso, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Marcoleta, Santiago, 391, 2°, Chile

    Diego Cosmelli

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Slachevsky, A., Reyes, P., Rojas, G., Silva, J.R. (2009). Prefrontal Cortex and Control of Behavior – Evidence from Neuropsychological Studies. In: Aboitiz, F., Cosmelli, D. (eds) From Attention to Goal-Directed Behavior. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-70573-4_12

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