Frontal lobe examination

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

Executive function testing includes asking the patient to recite the months backwards.

Abstract thinking is assessed by asking the patient to interpret phrases like 'an apple doesn't fall far from the tree'; the patient should demonstrate understanding that children often resemble their parents in their traits.

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 or abnormality in saccadic eye movement.

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

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

Object naming is tested 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 functions are tested to detect motor weakness.

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 tested by stroking the palm and observing for a twitch in the lower lip.

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