Frontal Disorders and Consciousness: A Review.
Current neurology and neuroscience reports October 18, 2025 Joshua G Berenbaum, Benjamin Morrison, Brenna Hagan et al.
The frontal cortex is involved in many functions linked to consciousness, and disorders that damage frontal brain areas or networks can alter conscious experience. This review examines how frontal disorders affect consciousness, considering competing theories: some hold that the frontal cortex is necessary for consciousness, others emphasize posterior cortical regions, and the Memory Theory of Consciousness proposes that consciousness depends on modality-specific localization throughout the brain. The authors argue that frontal disorders do not abolish consciousness but can disrupt conscious abilities including sustained attention, working memory, problem-solving, complex thought, executive function, response inhibition, decision-making, and goal-oriented behavior. Understanding this relationship has significant scientific, clinical, and societal implications.