Personality Traits of Frontal Lobe-Damaged Patients before and After Injury

This study is conducted following a new direction in the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School researches in the field of neuropsychology. As basic research, it aimed to determine the personality traits of 30 Filipino patients with frontal lobe damage before and after brain injury. It employed case study which uses qualitative and quantitative data to establish the pre-and-post injury personality traits of the participants with frontal lobe damage. Qualitative data were derived from MRI findings and life history interview with the participants and significant others focusing on the pre-morbid and current personality functioning of the participants. Quantitative evidence was obtained from the administration of neuropsychological tests namely Frontal System Behavior Scale and Neuropsychological Behavior and Affect Profile. Findings showed that majority of the frontal lobe- damaged participants possessed these pre-injury personality traits: low in apathy, disinhibition, executive dysfunctions, indifference and mania but high in inappropriateness, pragnosia and depression. After the frontal injury and neurosurgery, they remained low in apathy, disinhibition, executive dysfunctions, indifference and mania, and lowered in inappropriateness, pragnosia and depression.