Prefrontal cortex

From Psy3241


The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) is the very front of the brain, located right beneath the forehead. It is in the anterior (front) region of the frontal lobes. The PFC is believed to have the most activity in a human, mainly because it contains the behavior of executive functions, which include mediating conflicting thoughts, making choices between right and wrong or good and bad, predicting future events, and governing social control -- such as suppressing emotional or sexual urges.

Areas

- lateral prefrontal cortex seems to help us choose a course of behavior by letting us evaluate the various alternatives mentally.

- orbitofrontal cortex seems to let us reschedule certain immediate pleasure and contain certain emotions in order to obtain greater long-term benefits.

-ventromedial cortex is thought to be one of the sites in the brain where we experience emotions and the meanings of things.

Cases

The most well known case having to do with the Prefrontal Cortex is the one of Phineas Gage, a railway worker whose prefrontal cortex was destroyed by a railroad spike. Following the accident, it is said that many of his earlier attributes vanished and he became a violent and aggressive person. there have also been studies that show that crimnals, drug addicts, and sociopaths have a weak interconnction of the PFC. These results give more evidence what responsibilities are contained in the PFC. Just as we talk about dvelopmental disorders, for example a child without language never fully obtained it because it never developed the parts of the brain that make language possible. People unable to interpret reality, feel guilt, or make wrong moral choices do not develop or have parts that are damaged in the PFC.

Tests

Wisconsin card sort test

Trail Making

Reaction of choice tests (two choices)

Color and word page of Stroop Color and Word Test


Pictures

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