ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a linguistic analysis of narratives produced by patients with frontal lesions in order to demonstrate that the regulatory function of the prefrontal region is bound up to a great extent with language. While lesions of the prefrontal region are not always followed by a decrease in IQ, in subjects with frontal lobe lesions definite disturbances can be observed on tasks that demand shifting of alternative responses. Hence, the inhibitory role of the prefrontal region is emphasized by many authors in both clinical and neurophysiological studies. The literature on the neuropsychology of prefrontal cortex points to its role as a regulatory mechanism. J. M. Warren and K. Akert present important anatomical data as well as interesting accounts of behavioral impairments following damage to the prefrontal cortex. R. Morice discusses the relation between the frontal lobes and "changes in the structural complexity of the spoken language of schizophrenic patients".
