Anatomy and Disorders of Frontal Lobe Functions: Higher-Order Functions

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critical for elaborating and controlling goal-directed actions. It may be seen as a buffer space between perception and action where past experiences and prospective thoughts can be mentally represented and manipulated, allowing for decision-making and action selection based on mental deliberation. Fundamental processes such as attention, working memory, inhibition, set-shifting, motivation, and behavioral control mediate this general principle of functioning. The PFC also allows for higher-order functions that are particularly developed in humans, such as planning, abstraction, reasoning, creativity, and social cognition. In this second chapter, we detail the body of evidence that supports the involvement of the PFC in higher-order functions and how these functions are altered and assessed in neurological conditions affecting the PFC.