ABSTRACT
This chapter provides reference to an anatomical region, a fact which reflects one of the problems of dealing with frontal lobe dysfunction. As defined anatomically the frontal lobes comprise brain structures which are rostral to the central sulcus and the Sylvian fissure, and make up a third of the entire cerebral cortex. The frontal cortex immediately in front of the central fissure contains the main output control mechanisms of the motor system. In summarising the effectiveness of the available instruments for cognitive appraisal of frontal dysfunction it must be concluded that there are few tests in which the clinician can invest a great deal of confidence. Verbal fluency, whether oral or written, and categorisation ability as assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test together with careful monitoring of the patient's pattern of performance on the WAIS-R subtests, particularly their attitude to the more unfamiliar performance items, will form the backbone of this part of the assessment.
