A patient with frontal lobe damage is given a task in which he must change his response when he encounters a new stimulus. The patient understands the directions and knows that the stimulus has changed, but continues to make an old response. This patient is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Perseveration is a common symptom of frontal lobe damage, and refers to the tendency to continue with a previous response or behavior even when it is no longer appropriate in the current context. The patient understands the instructions and knows that the stimulus has changed, but is still unable to switch to a new response. This suggests that the problem is not with memory or learning, but rather with cognitive flexibility and inhibiting pre-potent responses.

A Patient with Frontal Lobe Damage Is Given a Task