Skip to main content

Prefrontal Cortex

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
  • 30 Accesses

Structure

The frontal lobes are the portion of the cerebrum anterior to the Rolandic fissure and superior to the Sylvian fissure. The functional subdivisions of the frontal lobes include the primary motor area, premotor area, frontal eye fields, dorsolateral area, orbital area, anterior cingulate gyrus/supplementary motor areas, and basal forebrain (see Fig. 1). The primary motor area subserves pyramidal motor functions, the premotor area is involved in sensorimotor integration and praxis, and the frontal eye fields control volitional eye movement and visual search. Damage to these zones generally results in relatively simple disorders of motor functioning (e.g., hemiparesis, volitional gaze disturbance, apraxia).

Prefrontal Cortex, Fig. 1
figure 168 figure 168

Functional/anatomic divisions of the frontal lobes

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   899.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   1,099.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References and Readings

  • Barbas, H., & Pandya, D. N. (1989). Architecture and intrinsic connections of the prefrontal cortex in the rhesus monkey. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 286, 353–357.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldman-Rakic, P. (1987). Circuitry of the primate prefrontal cortex and regulation of behavior by representational memory. In F. Plum & V. Mountcastle (Eds.), Handbook of physiology, the nervous system, and higher functions of the brain. (Sect. 1 (Vol. 5, pp. 373–417). Bethesda: American Psychological Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malloy, P., & Richardson, E. (1994). Assessment of frontal lobe functions. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 6, 399–410.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mega, M., & Cummings, J. (1994). Frontal-subcortical circuits and neuropsychiatric disorders. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 6, 358–370.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pandya, D. N., & Barnes, C. L. (1987). Architecture and connections of the frontal lobe. In E. Perecman (Ed.), The frontal lobes revisited (pp. 41–72). New York: IRBN Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandya, D. N., & Yeterian, E. H. (1990). Prefrontal cortex in relation to other cortical areas in rhesus monkey: Architecture and connections. In H. B. M. Uylings, C. G. Van Eden, J. P. C. DeBruin, M. A. Corner, & M. G. P. Feestra (Eds.), The prefrontal cortex: Its structure, function, and pathology, progress in brain research (Vol. 85, pp. 63–94). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, R. D., Schwarb, H., Lucas, H. D., Dulas, M. R., & Cohen, N. J. (2017). Dynamic hippocampal and prefrontal contributions to memory processes and representations blur the boundaries of traditional cognitive domains. Brain Sciences, 7(7), 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci7070082. Published online 12 July 2017.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Salloway, S., Malloy, P., & Duffy, J. (2001). The frontal lobes and neuropsychiatric illness. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Malloy .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Malloy, P. (2018). Prefrontal Cortex. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1904

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics