Biomaterial Database

Frontal lobes and language. 1989

M P Alexander, and D F Benson, and D T Stuss

Aphasia Program, Braintree Hospital, Massachusetts.

Numerous theories discuss the neuropsychological functions of the frontal lobes, most based on some concept of supramodality, and an extensive literature presents the phenomenology and semiology of language and communication deficits after focal brain lesions involving the frontal lobes. Despite this, few attempts have been made to link the clinical phenomenology to a theory. This paper presents (1) a general theory of frontal functions; (2) a brief summary of experimental and anatomical literatures in support of defined frontal functional systems; (3) clinical observations that delineate these functional systems for the specific modalities of language and communication; (4) a review of the available literature supporting the idea of specific modal and supramodal language and communication capacities; (5) hypotheses about the distributed anatomy of these functional systems; and (6) implications for traditional clinical notions of aphasia, particularly in relation to a general theory of frontal lobe functions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009044	Motor Cortex	Area of the FRONTAL LOBE concerned with primary motor control located in the dorsal PRECENTRAL GYRUS immediately anterior to the central sulcus. It is comprised of three areas: the primary motor cortex located on the anterior paracentral lobule on the medial surface of the brain; the premotor cortex located anterior to the primary motor cortex; and the supplementary motor area located on the midline surface of the hemisphere anterior to the primary motor cortex.	Brodmann Area 4,Brodmann Area 6,Brodmann's Area 4,Brodmann's Area 6,Premotor Cortex and Supplementary Motor Cortex,Premotor and Supplementary Motor Cortices,Anterior Central Gyrus,Gyrus Precentralis,Motor Area,Motor Strip,Precentral Gyrus,Precentral Motor Area,Precentral Motor Cortex,Premotor Area,Premotor Cortex,Primary Motor Area,Primary Motor Cortex,Secondary Motor Areas,Secondary Motor Cortex,Somatic Motor Areas,Somatomotor Areas,Supplementary Motor Area,Area 4, Brodmann,Area 4, Brodmann's,Area 6, Brodmann,Area 6, Brodmann's,Area, Motor,Area, Precentral Motor,Area, Premotor,Area, Primary Motor,Area, Secondary Motor,Area, Somatic Motor,Area, Somatomotor,Area, Supplementary Motor,Brodmann's Area 6s,Brodmanns Area 4,Brodmanns Area 6,Central Gyrus, Anterior,Cortex, Motor,Cortex, Precentral Motor,Cortex, Premotor,Cortex, Primary Motor,Cortex, Secondary Motor,Cortices, Secondary Motor,Gyrus, Anterior Central,Gyrus, Precentral,Motor Area, Precentral,Motor Area, Primary,Motor Area, Secondary,Motor Area, Somatic,Motor Areas,Motor Cortex, Precentral,Motor Cortex, Primary,Motor Cortex, Secondary,Motor Strips,Precentral Motor Areas,Precentral Motor Cortices,Premotor Areas,Primary Motor Areas,Primary Motor Cortices,Secondary Motor Area,Secondary Motor Cortices,Somatic Motor Area,Somatomotor Area,Supplementary Motor Areas
D001925	Brain Damage, Chronic	A condition characterized by long-standing brain dysfunction or damage, usually of three months duration or longer. Potential etiologies include BRAIN INFARCTION; certain NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS; CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA; ANOXIA, BRAIN; ENCEPHALITIS; certain NEUROTOXICITY SYNDROMES; metabolic disorders (see BRAIN DISEASES, METABOLIC); and other conditions.	Encephalopathy, Chronic,Chronic Encephalopathy,Chronic Brain Damage
D001931	Brain Mapping	Imaging techniques used to colocalize sites of brain functions or physiological activity with brain structures.	Brain Electrical Activity Mapping,Functional Cerebral Localization,Topographic Brain Mapping,Brain Mapping, Topographic,Functional Cerebral Localizations,Mapping, Brain,Mapping, Topographic Brain
D004292	Dominance, Cerebral	Dominance of one cerebral hemisphere over the other in cerebral functions.	Cerebral Dominance,Hemispheric Specialization,Dominances, Cerebral,Specialization, Hemispheric
D005625	Frontal Lobe	The part of the cerebral hemisphere anterior to the central sulcus, and anterior and superior to the lateral sulcus.	Brodmann Area 8,Brodmann's Area 8,Frontal Cortex,Frontal Eye Fields,Lobus Frontalis,Supplementary Eye Field,Area 8, Brodmann,Area 8, Brodmann's,Brodmanns Area 8,Cortex, Frontal,Eye Field, Frontal,Eye Field, Supplementary,Eye Fields, Frontal,Frontal Cortices,Frontal Eye Field,Frontal Lobes,Lobe, Frontal,Supplementary Eye Fields
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001037	Aphasia	A cognitive disorder marked by an impaired ability to comprehend or express language in its written or spoken form. This condition is caused by diseases which affect the language areas of the dominant hemisphere. Clinical features are used to classify the various subtypes of this condition. General categories include receptive, expressive, and mixed forms of aphasia.	Aphasia, Acquired,Dysphasia,Word Deafness,Alogia,Anepia,Aphasia, Ageusic,Aphasia, Auditory Discriminatory,Aphasia, Commisural,Aphasia, Functional,Aphasia, Global,Aphasia, Graphomotor,Aphasia, Intellectual,Aphasia, Mixed,Aphasia, Post-Ictal,Aphasia, Post-Traumatic,Aphasia, Progressive,Aphasia, Semantic,Aphasia, Syntactical,Dejerine-Lichtheim Phenomenon,Dysphasia, Global,Lichtheim's Sign,Logagnosia,Logamnesia,Logasthenia,Acquired Aphasia,Ageusic Aphasia,Ageusic Aphasias,Alogias,Anepias,Aphasia, Post Ictal,Aphasia, Post Traumatic,Aphasias, Commisural,Auditory Discriminatory Aphasia,Auditory Discriminatory Aphasias,Commisural Aphasia,Commisural Aphasias,Deafness, Word,Dejerine Lichtheim Phenomenon,Discriminatory Aphasia, Auditory,Discriminatory Aphasias, Auditory,Functional Aphasia,Functional Aphasias,Global Aphasia,Global Aphasias,Global Dysphasia,Global Dysphasias,Graphomotor Aphasia,Graphomotor Aphasias,Intellectual Aphasia,Intellectual Aphasias,Lichtheim Sign,Lichtheims Sign,Logagnosias,Logamnesias,Logasthenias,Mixed Aphasia,Mixed Aphasias,Phenomenon, Dejerine-Lichtheim,Post-Ictal Aphasia,Post-Ictal Aphasias,Post-Traumatic Aphasia,Post-Traumatic Aphasias,Progressive Aphasia,Progressive Aphasias,Semantic Aphasia,Semantic Aphasias,Sign, Lichtheim's,Syntactical Aphasia,Syntactical Aphasias
D001039	Aphasia, Broca	An aphasia characterized by impairment of expressive LANGUAGE (speech, writing, signs) and relative preservation of receptive language abilities (i.e., comprehension). This condition is caused by lesions of the motor association cortex in the FRONTAL LOBE (BROCA AREA and adjacent cortical and white matter regions).	Agrammatism,Aphasia, Motor,Aphasia, Nonfluent,Broca Aphasia,Dysphasia, Broca,Agrammatic Broca Aphasia,Agrammatic Broca's Aphasia,Aphasia, Anterior,Aphasia, Ataxic,Aphasia, Expressive,Aphasia, Frontocortical,Dysphasia, Broca's,Verbal Aphasia Syndrome,Agrammatic Broca Aphasias,Agrammatic Broca's Aphasias,Agrammatic Brocas Aphasia,Anterior Aphasia,Anterior Aphasias,Aphasia Syndrome, Verbal,Aphasia Syndromes, Verbal,Aphasia, Agrammatic Broca,Aphasia, Agrammatic Broca's,Aphasias, Agrammatic Broca,Aphasias, Agrammatic Broca's,Aphasias, Anterior,Aphasias, Ataxic,Aphasias, Broca,Aphasias, Frontocortical,Ataxic Aphasia,Ataxic Aphasias,Broca Aphasia, Agrammatic,Broca Aphasias,Broca Aphasias, Agrammatic,Broca Dysphasia,Broca's Aphasia, Agrammatic,Broca's Aphasias, Agrammatic,Broca's Dysphasia,Dysphasia, Brocas,Expressive Aphasia,Frontocortical Aphasia,Frontocortical Aphasias,Motor Aphasia,Nonfluent Aphasia,Syndrome, Verbal Aphasia,Syndromes, Verbal Aphasia,Verbal Aphasia Syndromes