Prefrontal Areas of the Cerebral Cortex

 Prefrontal Areas

      The part of the frontal lobe excluding the motor and premotor areas is referred to as the prefrontal area. It includes the parts of the frontal gyri anterior to the premotor area, the orbital gyri, most of the medial frontal gyrus, and the anterior part of the gyrus cinguli.

      The prefrontal area has numerous connections with the thalamus, the corpus striatum, the limbic system, the hypothalamus, the reticular formation, the cranial nerve nuclei, and the pontine nuclei. These connections suggest that this area is concerned with both somatic and visceral activity. Injury to some parts of this region makes the person more docile, but also negligent and lacking in concentration. The prefrontal area appears to be concerned with normal expression of emotions, and the ability to predict consequences of actions. The medial part of the prefrontal area is associated with auditory and visual functions.