Neuropsychology of executive functions in patients with focal lesion in the prefrontal cortex: A systematic review

Abstract

Executive functions are conceptualized as a set of cognitive processes that coordinate more basic processes for the resolution of complex behaviors. This neuronal substrate is believed to reside in the most anterior part of the brain. A systematic review of the high-impact literature was carried out to investigate what were the main deficits in executive functions after brain injury. It was found that the literature is fundamentally oriented towards the investigation of the ventromedial cortex and its deficits in decision-making and moral reasoning. Research on the dorsolateral cortex and more cognitive functions such as working memory is relegated to a second choice. This review proposes that a correct functioning of the ventromedial cortex is necessary in order to integrate emotional, cognitive and sensory information for an adequate choice in decision making and moral reasoning. It has also been found that the main deficits of working memory in the dorsolateral cortex are more associated with complex and visuospatial tasks. However, an increase in research synthesizing this type of study is necessary to reach more definitive conclusions.

Keywords: Decision-making; Executive function; Moral reasoning; Neuropsychology; Prefrontal cortex; Working memory.