Prefrontal lobe

Prefrontal Lobe

The prefrontal lobe is a part of the brain located at the front of the frontal lobe. It is involved in a variety of complex behaviors, including planning, and greatly contributes to personality development.

Anatomy

The prefrontal lobe is the anterior part of the frontal lobes and is differentiated from the motor cortex, and the premotor cortex. It is home to most of the dopamine-sensitive neurons in the cerebral cortex. The dopamine system is associated with reward, attention, short-term memory tasks, planning, and motivation.

Functions

The prefrontal lobe is the cerebral cortex which covers the front part of the frontal lobe. This brain region has been implicated in planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior. The basic activity of this brain region is considered to be orchestration of thoughts and actions in accordance with internal goals.

Cognitive Functions

The most typical psychological term for functions carried out by the prefrontal cortex area is executive function. Executive function relates to abilities to differentiate among conflicting thoughts, determine good and bad, better and best, same and different, future consequences of current activities, working toward a defined goal, prediction of outcomes, expectation based on actions, and social "control".

Social Functions

The prefrontal lobe is involved in many aspects of social cognition and behavior, including the ability to empathize with others, make decisions in a social context, and recognize and process others' emotions.

Clinical Significance

Damage to the prefrontal lobe can lead to a variety of issues, including personality changes, difficulty with decision-making, and problems with social interaction. Conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, ADHD, and autism have also been linked to abnormalities in the prefrontal lobe.

See Also

• Frontal lobe
• Brain
• Cerebral cortex
• Executive functions