Frontal lobe examination

General examination items for each lobe include asking about patient's name, age, handedness (right or left), and orientation to person, place, and time.

Executive function is tested by asking the patient to recite the months backwards.

Abstract thinking is assessed by asking the patient to interpret a proverb such as 'an apple doesn't fall far from the tree'; the patient should demonstrate understanding that children often resemble their parents.

Frontal eye fields are tested by asking the patient to look attentively at the examiner's finger and fist without moving their head, observing for eye movement abnormalities or abnormal saccadic eye movement.

Olfactory assessment involves asking the patient about any changes in smell or difficulty smelling things.

Expressive dysphasia (frontal lobe language function) is tested by asking the patient to repeat sentences like 'sun is shining'.

Object naming is assessed by showing the patient an object like a pen and having them name it.

Verbal fluency is tested by asking the patient to name as many animals as they can in one minute.

Pronator drift is tested by asking the patient to close their eyes and hold their hands out like holding a tray; presence of pronator drift indicates frontal lobe affection.

Motor function testing is performed to detect motor weakness as part of frontal lobe examination.

The presence of any primitive reflexes usually denotes frontal lobe affection.

Grasp reflex is tested by placing fingers in the patient's palms and observing if they voluntarily grasp the examiner's finger.

Palmomental reflex is elicited by stroking the palm, which produces a twitch in the lower lip.

Glabellar reflex is tested by tapping the glabella in the forehead and noting if there is excessive blinking.