Knowra Prefrontal cortex Prefrontal cortex The anterior part of the frontal lobes’ cerebral cortex, connected with many brain systems and involved in planning, working memory, decision-making, and behavioral control.
Working memory : The capacity to temporarily maintain and use information for ongoing thought and action. Prefrontal activity helps keep task-relevant information available when it is no longer present in the environment.
Frontal lobe : The cerebral lobe at the front of each hemisphere, containing motor and prefrontal areas. The prefrontal cortex occupies the anterior portion of this larger lobe.
Decision-making : The process of selecting among alternatives using goals, beliefs, values, and expected outcomes. Prefrontal systems contribute to comparing options and adjusting choices to consequences.
Phineas Gage : A nineteenth-century railroad worker who survived a severe penetrating injury to the frontal lobes. Changes in his behavior after injury helped link frontal damage with personality and control.
Primary motor cortex : The cortical region that sends signals for executing voluntary movements. It lies behind prefrontal areas and is more directly involved in movement execution than planning.
Executive functions : Cognitive processes that support goal-directed behavior, including planning, inhibition, and flexible control. This broader set of control processes includes several abilities associated with prefrontal networks.
Cerebral cortex : The layered outer tissue of the cerebral hemispheres, supporting perception, cognition, and voluntary action. The prefrontal cortex is a region of this folded outer tissue.
Planning : The construction of steps or strategies intended to achieve a future goal. Prefrontal activity supports organizing actions beyond the immediate moment.
Stroop effect : The slowing that occurs when naming a word’s ink color conflicts with the word’s meaning. The task tests interference control, a function supported by prefrontal networks.
Premotor cortex : Frontal cortical regions involved in preparing and selecting movements. Premotor areas translate intentions into movement plans, distinct from broader prefrontal control.
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