ADVANCES IN FRONTAL LOBE RESEARCH

Paul Malloy, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior,
Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence,  RI  USA

Research over the last 50 years has demonstrated that frontal lobe systems play a crucial role in uniquely human behaviors, and are frequently affected by neurologic and psychiatric disease. This workshop will present a brief overview of the functional anatomy of frontal lobe systems. This will be followed by reviews of recent advances in measurement and understanding of frontal lobe functions, with an emphasis on (a) neuroimaging findings from DTI and fMRI research, and (b) methods of measuring non-cognitive behavior change. Participants will achieve the following objectives: (1) Understand what frontal systems have been mapped to date and what questions remain to be answered; (2) Become familiar with the strengths and limitations of behavior rating scales in diagnosing and tracking neuropsychiatric disorders.