Associations between verbal fluency and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe)

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Associations between verbal fluency and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) J O Carvalho1*, J. Grace2 and R E Ready1 1 University of Massachusetts, United States 2 Brown University, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, United States Specific frontal regions are hypothesized to selectively facilitate or participate in cognitive and behavioral tasks. Letter and category fluency tasks showed relatively greater fMRI activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) compared to other brain regions (Audenart et al., 2000). The Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe; Grace & Malloy, 2001) measures behaviors linked, in part, to these same brain regions: Executive Dysfunction (linked to the DLPFC) and Apathy (linked to the ACC). FrSBe Disinhibition is related to a different area of frontal circuitry (orbitofrontal cortex; Mega & Cummings, 1994). The current study determined convergent and discriminant correlations between verbal fluency and FrSBe index scores. In a neurologic sample (N = 464), small, significant (rs = -.15 to -.28, p < .01) correlations were found between letter and category fluency and FrSBe Executive Dysfunction and Apathy scales. FrSBe Disinhibition was not significantly correlated with fluency performance. These findings were consistent with expectations because cognitive abilities measured by fluency tasks and Executive Dysfunction and Apathy behaviors are mediated by the same brain regions (DLPFC and ACC). Results support the construct validity of the FrSBe and the model of frontal systems behavior on which it is based. Conference: The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes, Toronto, Canada, 22 Mar - 26 Mar, 2010. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Neuropsychology Citation: Carvalho J, Grace J and Ready R (2010). Associations between verbal fluency and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). Conference Abstract: The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.14.00131 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Jun 2010; Published Online: 30 Jun 2010. * Correspondence: J O Carvalho, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States, jocarval@psych.umass.edu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers J O Carvalho J. Grace R E Ready Google J O Carvalho J. Grace R E Ready Google Scholar J O Carvalho J. Grace R E Ready PubMed J O Carvalho J. Grace R E Ready Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.