The Ruff Figural Fluency Test: heightened right frontal lobe delta activity as a function of performance

Abstract

Research has indicated that the Ruff Figural Fluency Test [RFFT; Ruff, R. M., Light, R. H., & Evans, R. W. (1987). The Ruff Figural Fluency Test: A normative study with adults. Developmental Neuropsychology, 3, 37–51] is sensitive to right frontal lobe functioning. Indeed, research has differentiated between patients with left or right frontal lobe lesions using performance on the RFFT [Ruff, R. M., Allen, C. C., Farrow, C. E., Niemann, H., & Wylie, T. (1994). Figural fluency: Differential impairment in patients with left versus right frontal lobe lesions. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 9, 41–55]. The present investigation used quantitative electroencephalography to test further whether the RFFT was sensitive to right frontal lobe functioning among a group of individuals with no history of head injury. To meet this objective, the RFFT was administered to a group of 45 right-handed men with no history of significant head injury or cerebral dysfunction. Delta magnitude (μV) at three right frontal electrode sites (FP2, F4, F8) was then used to compare those who performed the best (High Fluency) with those who performed the worst (Low Fluency) on the RFFT. The findings indicated heightened right frontal delta magnitude for the Low Fluency group relative to the High Fluency group at the F2 and F8 right frontal electrode sites. Thus, the present findings provide further support for the contention that the RFFT is sensitive to right frontal lobe functioning, even among those with no history of head injury.