The ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is a section of the
prefrontal cortex
In mammalian brain anatomy, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) covers the front part of the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. It is the association cortex in the frontal lobe. The PFC contains the Brodmann areas BA8, BA9, BA10, BA11, BA12, ...
located on the
inferior frontal gyrus
The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG; also gyrus frontalis inferior) is the lowest positioned gyrus of the frontal gyri, of the frontal lobe, and is part of the prefrontal cortex.
Its superior border is the inferior frontal sulcus (which divides it ...
, bounded superiorly by the
inferior frontal sulcus and inferiorly by the
lateral sulcus
The lateral sulcus (or lateral fissure, also called Sylvian fissure, after Franciscus Sylvius) is the most prominent sulcus (neuroanatomy), sulcus of each cerebral hemisphere in the human brain. The lateral sulcus (neuroanatomy), sulcus is a deep ...
. It is attributed to the anatomical structures of
Brodmann's area (BA)
47,
45 and
44 (considered the subregions of the VLPFC – the anterior, mid and posterior subregions).
Specific functional distinctions have been presented between the three Brodmann subregions of the VLPFC.
There are also specific functional differences in activity in the right and left VLPFC.
Neuroimaging studies employing various cognitive tasks have shown that the right VLPFC region is a critical substrate of control.
At present, two prominent theories feature the right VLPFC as a key functional region. From one perspective, the right VLPFC is thought to play a critical role in motor inhibition, where control is engaged to stop or override motor responses. Alternatively, Corbetta and Shulman
have advanced the hypothesis that there are two distinct frontoparietal networks involved in spatial attention, with the right VLPFC being a component of a right-lateralized ventral attention network that governs reflexive reorienting. From this perspective, the right lateral PFC, along with a region spanning the right
temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the
inferior parietal lobule
The inferior parietal lobule (subparietal district) lies below the horizontal portion of the intraparietal sulcus, and behind the lower part of the postcentral sulcus. Also known as Geschwind's territory after Norman Geschwind, an American neu ...
, are engaged when abrupt onsets occur in the environment, suggesting that these regions are involved in re-orienting attention to perceptual events that occur outside the current focus of attention.
Also, the VLPFC is the end point of the
ventral pathway (stream) that brings information about the stimuli's characteristics.
Functions
The whole right VLPFC is active during motor inhibition, having a critical role, meaning when a person is walking and suddenly stops, the VLPFC activates to stop or override the motor activity in the cortex. The right posterior VLPFC (BA 44) is active during the updating of action plans. The right middle VLPFC (BA 45) responds to decision uncertainty (presumably in right-handed individuals).
See also
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Attention versus memory in prefrontal cortex
*
Attentional shift
*
Cognitive control
*
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC or DL-PFC) is an area in the prefrontal cortex of the primate brain. It is one of the most recently derived parts of the human brain. It undergoes a prolonged period of maturation which lasts into adulthoo ...
*
Mesocortical pathway
*
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is a neuropsychological test of set-shifting, which is the capability to show flexibility when exposed to changes in reinforcement.E. A. Berg. (1948). A simple objective technique for measuring flexibility i ...
*
Working memory
Working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that can Memory, hold information temporarily. It is important for reasoning and the guidance of decision-making and behavior. Working memory is often used synonymously with short-term m ...
References
{{Cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex