29 Prefrontal Cortex Flashcards
Generally speaking, where is the prefrontal cortex located?
anterior to the motor cortex
Name the sulcus that divides the premotor and prefrontal cortices.
pre central sulcus
What two sulci border the inferior frontal gyrus (vmPFC)?
the pre central sulcus and the inferior frontal gyrus
Patient “tan” was suffering from prefrontal brain damage due to syphyilis suffered damaged to which area important for speech?
Broca’s aphasia
Which sulci border on either side of the superior frontal gyrus (dlPFC)?
superior frontal sucli
What gyrus lies between the superior and inferior frontal sulci?
the middle frontal gyrus (dlPRC)
Where is the orbitofrontal cortex located (vmPFC)?
prefrontal cortex located just above the orbits
The gyrus rectus lies between which two sulci?
olfactory sulci
How does the prefrontal cortex in humans compare with other species?
in humans the prefrontal cortex is much more developed than other species and accounts for a lost ⅓ of the brain mass NOTE: prefrontal cortex is also the last area to fully mature (mid or late 20’s)
Name the two subdivisions of the prefrontal cortex
dorsolateral PFC and the ventromedial PFC
Dorsolateral PFC has connections with these areas for the functions of planning behavior and movement
premotor area and frontal eye fields
Dorsolateral PFC has connections with this are for the functions of working memory, focused attention, sensor/spatial processing
lateral parietal cortex
Ventralmedial PFC has connections with the hypothalamus and brainstem for what purpose?
regulation of autonomic, visceral responses
Connections between vmPFC and the ventral striatum are important for this function.
reward and decision-making
Connection between the amygdala and the vmPFC participate in these emotions.
fear, threat, arousal
What area does the vmPFC connect with to produce self-reflection and rumination (undirected thoughts)
medial parietal cortex
Name the white mater tracts that are important to eh dorsolateral and ventromedial PFC respectively.
superior longitudinal fasciculus and the uncinate fasciculus
Which vessels supply the vmPFC and the dlPFC respectively?
ACA and MCA
What are the main functions of the dorsolateral PFC?
acts as working memory, executive function of cognitive control (ie. strop test), task switching
What are the main functions of the ventro medial PFC?
reasoning of risk and reward in the long term (value computation) as well as personality (emotional regulation) and empathy (social cognition) and moral judgement as well as introspection (intelligence is unrelated)
What have lobotomies taught us about the prefrontal cortex?
the vmPFC has huge impacts on affect, unintended lobotomies have been shown to cure depression
What is currently a practice to treat severe depression involving the PFC?
deep brain stimulation (reversible and localized)
Name common PFC pathologies.
frontotemporal dementia, ischemic stroke (of either ACA or MCA), subarachonid hemorrhage (ie. aneurysm), tumor (meningioma is common near PFC) or dramatic brain injury (shearing on the orbital plate along with initial impact
