The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is located in the frontal lobes of the brain behind the forehead. It is involved in executive functions like decision making, creating strategies, focusing thoughts, learning, and social judgments. The PFC contains areas responsible for self-awareness, risk-taking behaviors, speech production, and integrating emotion and memory. Damage to the PFC can impact personality and the ability to discern appropriate behavior, potentially causing issues like paranoia, anxiety, or irritability.

1. PREFRONTAL
CORTEX

2. 1. Introduction
2. Anatomy
3. Functions
4. Applied anatomy
2

3. PREFRONTAL CORTEX3

4.  The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the
anterior part of the frontal lobes of
the brain, lying in front of the motor
and pre-motor areas.
 The pre- frontal cortex just lies behind
the forehead
4

5. ANATOMY AND CONNECTIONS OF PREFRONTAL CORTEX
 Lateral prefrontal cortex: with lots of reciprocal areas is well suited to
regulate behaviour and control of response to environmental stimuli
 Orbitomedial prefrontal cortex: via its reciprocal neocortical and
limbic connections ,is suited to integrate information about emotion
and memory related to environmental stimuli.
5

6. FUNCTIONS OF THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX
 Regulates thought in terms of short-term and long-term decision
making.
 Allows humans to plan ahead and create strategies, as well as to
adjust actions and
 Reactions to various situations
6

7. FUNCTIONS OF THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX
 Social judgements are made here
 Helps to focus thoughts
 Allows humans to pay attention, learn, and concentrate on
goals.
 evaluating complex concepts or tasks.
7

8. EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
 The most typical psychological term for functions carried out
by the prefrontal cortex area is executive function.
 Executive function relates: abilities to differentiate among
conflicting thoughts,
8

9.  Determine good and bad, better and best, same and different,
 Future consequences of current activities, working toward a
defined goal, prediction of outcomes, expectation based on
actions, and social "control" (the ability to suppress urges that,
if not suppressed, could lead to socially-unacceptable
outcomes).
9

10. 10

11. WHAT
HAPPENS
WHEN THERE
IS DAMAGE TO
PREFRONTAL
CORTEX....????
11

12.  The PFC is one of the most susceptible parts of the brain to damage.
 If the PFC is damaged in some way, personality can change drastically.
For example, someone who had been outgoing can become quiet and
withdrawn after suffering injury to their pre-frontal cortex.
12

13. ∙ Damage to the PFC can negatively impact someone’s ability
to assess situations or perform tasks, especially if they have a
moral or ethical aspect to them.
∙ People with damaged PFCs can be unable to discern
appropriate behaviour or suffer from emotional distress, such
as paranoia, anxiety, euphoria, and irritability
13

14. MAJOR SUBSTRUCTURES
 Superior Frontal Gyrus – involved in self awareness
 Inferior Frontal Gyrus – involved in go/no go tasks and risk
aversion
 Broca’s Area– involved in speech and language production
14

15. conclusion
∙ The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the anterior part of the frontal lobes of
the brain, lying in front of the motor and pre-motor areas.
∙ Damage to the PFC can negatively impact someone’s ability to
assess situations or perform tasks, especially if they have a moral or
ethical aspect to them
15

16. References
 Introduction to psychology – Clifford Morgan
 Textbook of Psychiatry – Niraj Ahuja
16

17. 17