Evaluating Orbital-Ventral Medial System Regulation of Personal Attention: A Critical Need for Neuropsychological Assessment and Intervention

Abstract

Attention to self and environment form the basis of effective social exchange and relationships. Although implicit in this basic social competency is the ability to be self-aware and responsive to the circumstances of others, many neuropsychologists have yet to understand or measure its basic functions, let alone recognize the brain–behavior relationships that govern this area. Several years ago, interest in “emotional intelligence” rose to the forefront of popular psychology, but we are still unraveling the cortical, subcortical, and neurocellular interactions that produce this nebulous construct, and we are determining how dysfunctional frontal-subcortical and cortico-cerebellar circuitry can lead to aberrant social dynamics and ultimately psychopathology when maladaptive patterns become routinized. In this article, we explore the orbital-ventral medial circuitry thought to govern emotional attention, personal self-regulation, social concern and exchange, and affective aspects of interpersonal relationships. Our examination notes both the dearth of and need for neuropsychological research on the biological basis and measurement of executive regulation of emotional attention, behavioral regulation, and social competence. We conclude with a call for development of neuropsychological measures and methods that can foster differential diagnosis and targeted treatment strategies for children with orbital-ventral medial circuit dysfunction.

Key words:

• emotional
• orbital
• self-regulation
• social competence
• ventral-medial