How the Body Works : Frontal Lobe Damage

How the Body Works Frontal Lobe Damage

Frontal lobe damage can be detected by the formboard test, which is similar to a child's "letterbox" game. When this test is administered, the patients are blindfolded. Those with undamaged frontal lobes will correctly locate the shapes, those with damaged lobes will not.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Frontal
• Lobe
• Damage

[mayaclay]

How does this work? Are they able to look at the letterboard before they are blindfolded and then they have to remember the shape areas? Or do they feel their way to the shapes after being blindfolded?

[ullefan]

This is probably the most basic function of the frontal lobes and the ability to complete the task accurately doesn't mean they're not damaged.

[julie1300]

I absolutely agree; the majority of the frontal lobe "seat" is executive functioning with abstract abilities such as controlling impulsiveness, reasoning/critical thinking, judgement, understanding non-verbal social cues, controlling emotional labile fluctuations and extremes, filtering socially acceptable behaviors or language...etc etc. ....This simple test may work for people with visibly OBVIOUS traumatic brain injury but not for patients with mild to moderate TBI.

[corydonindiana]

Sounds like a small part of a larger clip. Reasoning, judgment, and short term memory may be severely impaired with frontal lobe damage, as well as the order of simple tasks that we might take for granted.

[IllinoisanWhiteGuy]

Good point. I was wondering the same thing.