Developmental impact of frontal lobe injury in middle childhood.

Executive function of frontal lobe systems, like intelligent behavior, appears to demonstrate two major features: it is adaptive and goal-directed. Disruption of executive function following injury to the frontal lobes in childhood might be predicted to impact the trajectory of normal cognitive, behavioral, and social development. Case studies of two children injured at different ages showed the primary developmental impact to involve the behavioral and social realms. While cognitive development may be suspected to also be considerably influenced, assessment of changes in cognitive abilities by traditional psychometric means was found to be problematic. Psychometric changes were found to occur over a prolonged period of time, emphasizing the importance of documenting observations and chronicling postinjury events.