Abstract

This chapter focuses on how the structure of the frontal lobe changes over time, how this relates to behavior, and how the rest of the brain changes when the frontal lobe is injured. It shows that the prefrontal cortex is plastic, but its plasticity is different from that of other forebrain areas. The organization of the prefrontal cortex is affected by injury, and especially perinatal injury, in other parts of the brain. Other parts of the brain change when the prefrontal cortex is damaged. Various factors modulate the injury-related changes observed after frontal lobe injury. These include experience, psychomotor stimulants, gonadal hormones, neurotrophic factors, and neuromodulators.