Carbon monoxide poisoning and frontal lobe pathology: two case reports and a discussion of the literature

Two patients, a brother and a sister, experienced carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning simultaneously. Both showed deficits in frontal lobe/executive functioning along with mild disturbances in memory and visual-spatial information processing. A review of the literature indicates that frontal lobe deficits are commonly found following CO poisoning along with the 'better-known' deficits in memory and visual-spatial information processing. This type of deficit can affect the personality of the CO-exposed individual and lead to enduring changes in his or her ability to plan, organize and manage activities of daily living.