The prefrontal cortex covers the front of the frontal lobe, ahead of the motor and premotor areas, and makes up about a third of the human cortex. It includes dorsolateral, ventromedial, orbitofrontal and frontopolar regions. It is the last part of the brain to mature, continuing to develop into the mid twenties.
| Location | Anterior frontal lobe, in front of the premotor and supplementary motor areas |
|---|---|
| Parts |
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| Connections |
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| Blood Supply | Anterior cerebral artery; Middle cerebral artery |
Controls executive functions: planning, decision making, working memory, attention, impulse control and regulation of emotion and social behaviour.
Prefrontal damage often leaves strength, sensation and intelligence test scores intact but causes major problems with planning, judgement, motivation and social behaviour. It is affected in frontotemporal dementia, traumatic brain injury and many psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia and depression. Bedside tests such as verbal fluency and the go/no-go task assess its function.
Difficulty planning, organising, switching tasks and controlling impulses after prefrontal damage.
Progressive prefrontal and temporal degeneration with early behavioural and personality change.
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