prefrontal association complex

Examples of prefrontal association complex in the following topics:

• Association Areas

  • The frontal lobe or prefrontal association complex is involved in planning actions and movement, as well as abstract thought.
  • Distinct networks are positioned adjacent to one another, yielding a complex series of interwoven networks.
  • In humans, association networks are particularly important to language function.
  • The processes of language expression and reception occur in areas other than just the perisylvian structures such as the prefrontal lobe, basal ganglia, cerebellum, pons, caudate nucleus, and others.
  • Locations of brain areas historically associated with language processing.

• Neural Correlates of Memory Storage

  • Many areas of the brain have been associated with the processes of memory storage.
  • Most of this research has been focused on simple learning and does not clearly describe changes involved in more complex examples of memory.
  • Recent functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging (fMRI) studies detected working memory signals in the medial temporal lobe and the prefrontal cortex.
  • Short-term memory is supported by brief patterns of neural communication that are dependent on regions of the prefrontal cortex, frontal lobe, and parietal lobe.
  • The processes of consolidating and storing long-term memories have been particularly associated with the prefrontal cortex, cerebrum, frontal lobe, and medial temporal lobe.

• Executive Function and Control

  • A prepotent response is a response for which immediate reinforcement (positive or negative) is available or is associated with that response.
  • Historically, the executive functions have been thought to be regulated by the prefrontal regions of the frontal lobes, but this is a matter of ongoing debate.
  • Though prefrontal regions of the brain are necessary for executive function, it seems that non-frontal regions come into play as well.
  • Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: associated with verbal and design fluency, set shifts, planning, response inhibition, working memory, organizational skills, reasoning, problem solving, and abstract thinking.
  • The different parts of the prefrontal cortex are vital to executive function.

• Basal Ganglia

  • The basal ganglia are associated with a variety of functions, including voluntary motor control, procedural learning relating to routine behaviors or "habits" such as bruxism, eye movements, and cognitive, emotional functions.
  • The "behavior switching" that takes place within the basal ganglia is influenced by signals from many parts of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in executive functions.
  • Each of these areas has a complex internal anatomical and neurochemical organization.

• Neural Underpinnings of Consciousness

  • In this context, the neuronal correlates of consciousness may be viewed as its causes, and consciousness may be thought of as a state-dependent property of some complex, adaptive, and highly interconnected biological system.
  • Another idea that has drawn attention for several decades is that consciousness is associated with high-frequency (gamma band) oscillations in brain activity.
  • Higher brain areas are seen as more promising, especially the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in a range of executive (higher-order) functions.
  • The prefrontal cortex is not the only candidate area, however: studies have shown that visually responsive neurons in parts of the temporal lobe reflect the visual perception in the situation when conflicting visual images are presented to different eyes.

• Cerebral Lobes

  • Brain lobes were originally a purely anatomical classification, but we now know they are also associated with specific brain functions.
  • The dopamine system is associated with reward, attention, short-term memory tasks, planning, and motivation.
  • It is involved in the senses of smell and sound as well as in processing of complex stimuli.
  • The areas associated with vision in the temporal lobe interpret the meaning of visual stimuli and establish object recognition.
  • The ventral part of the temporal cortices appear to be involved in high-level visual processing of complex stimuli such as faces (fusiform gyrus) and scenes (parahippocampal gyrus).

• Disorders of the Basal Ganglia

  • These areas are thought to control not only motor function but also oculomotor, prefrontal, associative, and limbic areas.
  • Evidence shows that the basal ganglias in patients with Huntington's Disease show a decrease in activity of the mitochondrial pathway, complex II-III.
  • Such deficiencies are often associated with basal ganglia degeneration.
  • For this reason, it is commonly believed that pathologies involving limbic, associative, and motor circuits of the basal ganglia are likely.

• Limbic System

  • The limbic system is also tightly connected to the prefrontal cortex.
  • To cure severe emotional disorders, this connection was sometimes surgically severed, a procedure of psychosurgery called a prefrontal lobotomy.

• Cluster B: Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic Personality Disorders

  • Because of their very low or absent capacity for remorse, individuals with ASPD often lack sufficient motivation and fail to see the costs associated with antisocial acts.
  • The causes of BPD are complex and not fully agreed upon.
  • There are also some brain abnormalities associated with BPD.
  • The prefrontal cortex tends to be less active in people with BPD, especially when recalling memories of abandonment.
  • Treatment is often prompted by depression associated with dissolved romantic relationships.

• Neurons and Glial Cells

  • For example, as you are reading, the visual system is processing what is seen on the page; the motor system controls the turn of the pages (or click of the mouse); the prefrontal cortex maintains attention.
  • Nervous systems throughout the animal kingdom vary in structure and complexity .
  • The insect nervous system is more complex, but also fairly decentralized.
  • Compared to invertebrates, vertebrate nervous systems are more complex, centralized, and specialized.
  • Mollusks, such as squid and (e) octopi, which must hunt to survive, have complex brains containing millions of neurons.