The cortex of the frontal lobe reaches maximum phylogenetic development in
the brain of the human. It is cortex devoted to the organization of action
in all neurobiological and cognitive domains - skeletal movement, eye movem
ent, speech and logical reasoning. Thus the frontal cortex may be called 'm
otor cortex' in the widest sense. The association cortex of the frontal lob
e, commonly called prefrontal cortex, is in charge of the temporal organiza
tion of behaviour, speech and thinking. Prefrontal lesions frequently lead
to disorders of temporal organization, especially in thinking and the spoke
n language. The prefrontal cortex serves temporal organization by coordinat
ing three cognitive operations that are essential for the formation of 'ges
talts' in the time domain: (i) preparatory set; (ii) working memory; and (i
ii) inhibitory control of interference. Temporal organization is disturbed
in the schizophrenic patient, probably because of a functional disorder of
the connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and other cortical areas, as
well as limbic and striatal structures (a 'disconnection syndrome').