Final answer:
Frontal syndrome deficits involve impairments in planning, decision-making, and social behavior due to damage in the frontal lobes, especially the prefrontal cortex. Phineas Gage's case exemplifies such changes, including alterations in personality and emotional regulation. Clinical assessments evaluate judgment and reasoning through problem-solving tasks and interpretation exercises.
Step-by-step explanation:
The elementary deficits of frontal syndrome are related to the impairments in the frontal lobes, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which is crucial for planning, decision-making, problem-solving, and moderating social behavior. Damage to this area can result in changes to personality, mood, and behavior, as illustrated by the famous case of Phineas Gage, who suffered a dramatic personality change after an accident that drove a rod through his prefrontal cortex. This injury also suggested damage to pathways between the frontal lobe and other brain structures, such as the limbic system, which affected his emotional impulses and social behavior.
For a clinical assessment, the mental status exam includes subtests focusing on judgment and reasoning functions of the frontal lobe. Patients may be tested on their problem-solving abilities, interpretation of proverbs, and comparisons of word similarities to evaluate executive functions. Damage in the frontal lobes can also appear in various forms across different developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), where deficits in social skills or other cognitive functions may not be linked to visible damage but rather to inadequate connections between brain regions.