Abstracts Accepted

Alteration in free will and freedom of choice in patients with fronto temporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)

One of the essential components of free will is being able to voluntarily initiate actions (defined as any activity that results in a change in the external and internal universe) as well as modulate and choose among a number of potential responses to internally or externally generated stimuli. The neural substrate for goal oriented action generation, implementation, and retro-assessment appears to be located in specific areas of the brain, especially in the frontal, prefrontal and temporal lobe structures. These same areas are also involved in the response selection within the stimulus response paradigm. FTLD is a neurodegenerative disorder which can be caused by various neuropathological processes and involve frontal and temporal brain areas. Patients with FTLD frequently display lack of action generation and a fixed, predictable response to a particular stimulus. We discuss how FTLD provides a model of a neurological disorder that interferes with free will and freedom of choice; it also allows us to better understand the neural substrate for "free will".

Int Seminar MBC, Jan 2010. Accepted