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Journal ArticleDOI

An analysis of rat prefrontal cortex in mediating executive function.

01 Oct 2011-Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (Neurobiol Learn Mem)-Vol. 96, Iss: 3, pp 417-431
TL;DR: The data suggest that there is subregional specificity within the PFC of rats, monkey and humans and there are parallel cognitive functions of the different subregions of the P FC in rats, monkeys and humans.
About: This article is published in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.The article was published on 2011-10-01. It has received 342 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Working memory & Executive functions.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
10 Jul 2013-Neuron
TL;DR: The prefrontal cortex is involved in working memory and self-regulatory and goal-directed behaviors and displays remarkable structural and functional plasticity over the life course, though such effects are not necessarily permanent, as young animals show remarkable neuronal resilience if the stress is discontinued.

739 citations


Cites methods from "An analysis of rat prefrontal corte..."

  • ...…cognitive functions similar to primate dlPFC, with the medial PFC Neuron 79, July 10, 2013 ª2013 Elsevier Inc. 17 (mPFC)—consisting of anterior cingulate (AC), prelimbic (PL), and infralimbic (IL) cortices—likely to be the key regions responsible for such functions (Kesner and Churchwell, 2011)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A division of labor has been proposed in which the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subdivisions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulate the expression and suppression of fear in rodents, respectively.
Abstract: Once acquired, a fearful memory can persist for a lifetime. Although learned fear can be extinguished, extinction memories are fragile. The resilience of fear memories to extinction may contribute to the maintenance of disorders of fear and anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As such, considerable effort has been placed on understanding the neural circuitry underlying the acquisition, expression, and extinction of emotional memories in rodent models as well as in humans. A triad of brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, form an essential brain circuit involved in fear conditioning and extinction. Within this circuit, the prefrontal cortex is thought to exert top-down control over subcortical structures to regulate appropriate behavioral responses. Importantly, a division of labor has been proposed in which the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subdivisions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulate the expression and suppression of fear in rodents, respectively. Here, we critically review the anatomical and physiological evidence that has led to this proposed dichotomy of function within mPFC. We propose that under some conditions, the PL and IL act in concert, exhibiting similar patterns of neural activity in response to aversive conditioned stimuli and during the expression or inhibition of conditioned fear. This may stem from common synaptic inputs, parallel downstream outputs, or cortico-cortical interactions. Despite this functional covariation, these mPFC subdivisions may still be coding for largely opposing behavioral outcomes, with PL biased towards fear expression and IL towards suppression.

388 citations


Cites background from "An analysis of rat prefrontal corte..."

  • ...Indeed, the rodent PFC like that in humans plays a role in an array of complex behaviors (Heidbreder and Groenewegen, 2003; Kesner and Churchwell, 2011)....

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  • ...The complexity and organization of cortical pyramidal neurons makes the PFC well suited to regulate several functions and an array of behaviors (Heidbreder and Groenewegen, 2003; Kesner and Churchwell, 2011)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review focuses on the pathophysiology, etiology, and treatment of ADHD and details the adverse effects and drug interaction profiles of the drugs used to treat it.
Abstract: Objective: To review the pathophysiology, etiology, and treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Data Sources and Data Extraction: A literature search was conducted in PubMed and EMBASE using the terms attention deficit hyperactive disorder, ADHD, pathophysiology, etiology, and neurobiology. Limits applied were the following: published in the past 10 years (January 2003 to August 2013), humans, review, meta-analysis, and English language. These yielded 63 articles in PubMed and 74 in EMBASE. After removing duplicate/irrelevant articles, 86 articles and their relevant reference citations were reviewed. Data Synthesis: ADHD is a neurological disorder that affects children, but symptoms may persist into adulthood. Individuals suffering from this disorder exhibit hyperactivity, inattention, impulsivity, and problems in social interaction and academic performance. Medications used to treat ADHD such as methylphenidate, amphetamine, and atomoxetine indicate a dopamine/norepinephrine deficit...

366 citations


Cites background from "An analysis of rat prefrontal corte..."

  • ...These areas are interconnected by a network of neurons and together regulate attention, thoughts, emotions, behavior, and actions.(9,10) Studies in ADHD patients have shown slower maturation of PFC(11) or a smaller volume and reduced activity of the PFC, caudate, or cerebellum....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The H-PFC pathway is a potentially crucial element of the pathophysiology of several psychiatric diseases, and it offers a specific target for therapeutic intervention, which is consistent with the recent emphasis on reframing psychiatric diseases in terms of brain circuits.

350 citations


Cites background from "An analysis of rat prefrontal corte..."

  • ...Indeed, the homology of different PFC regions has been extensively debated (e.g., Conde et al., 1995; Kesner and Churchwell, 2011; Seamans et al., 2008; Uylings et al., 2003), and there is not a...

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  • ...Indeed, the homology of different PFC regions has been extensively debated (e.g., Conde et al., 1995; Kesner and Churchwell, 2011; Seamans et al., 2008; Uylings et al., 2003), and there is not a universally accepted model for how the rat PFC compares to monkeys and humans....

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  • ...The PFC is key for aspects of executive function, including working memory, temporal processing, decision making, flexibility and goal-oriented behavior (Kesner and Churchwell, 2011)....

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  • ...The PFC is key for aspects of executive function, including working memory, temporal processing, decision making, flexibility and goal-oriented behavior (Kesner and Churchwell, 2011)....

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  • ...The prefrontal cortex (PFC) participates in numerous cognitive functions that serve executive function, including working memory, temporal processing, decision making, flexibility and goaloriented behavior (Kesner and Churchwell, 2011)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review will examine the influence of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine on the following measures of executive function: attention, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control and the effects of polymorphisms in genes associated with these neurotransmitter systems on these measures.
Abstract: Executive function is a collection of cognitive processes essential for higher order mental function. Processes involved in executive function include, but are not limited to, working memory, attention, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control. These complex behaviors are largely mediated by prefrontal cortical function but are modulated by dopaminergic, noradrenergic, serotonergic, and cholinergic input. The ability of these neurotransmitter systems to modulate executive function allows for adaptation in cognitive behavior in response to changes in the environment. Because of the important role these neurotransmitter systems play in regulating executive function, changes in these systems can also have a grave impact on executive function. In addition, polymorphisms in genes associated with these neurotransmitters are associated with phenotypic differences in executive function. Understanding how these naturally occurring polymorphisms contribute to different executive function phenotypes will advance basic knowledge of cognition and potentially further understanding and treatment of mental illness that involve changes in executive function. In this review, we will examine the influence of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine on the following measures of executive function: attention, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control. We will also review the effects of polymorphisms in genes associated with these neurotransmitter systems on these measures of executive function.

316 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is proposed that cognitive control stems from the active maintenance of patterns of activity in the prefrontal cortex that represent goals and the means to achieve them, which provide bias signals to other brain structures whose net effect is to guide the flow of activity along neural pathways that establish the proper mappings between inputs, internal states, and outputs needed to perform a given task.
Abstract: ▪ Abstract The prefrontal cortex has long been suspected to play an important role in cognitive control, in the ability to orchestrate thought and action in accordance with internal goals. Its neural basis, however, has remained a mystery. Here, we propose that cognitive control stems from the active maintenance of patterns of activity in the prefrontal cortex that represent goals and the means to achieve them. They provide bias signals to other brain structures whose net effect is to guide the flow of activity along neural pathways that establish the proper mappings between inputs, internal states, and outputs needed to perform a given task. We review neurophysiological, neurobiological, neuroimaging, and computational studies that support this theory and discuss its implications as well as further issues to be addressed

10,943 citations


"An analysis of rat prefrontal corte..." refers background in this paper

  • ...…rule learning based on complexity (Wise, Murray, & Gerfen, 1996), executive functions based on connectivity with other brain regions associated with top-down control (Miller & Cohen, 2001), and apply these theoretical views with the aim of understanding subregional specificity in the rat PFC....

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  • ...…based on complexity (Wise, Murray, & Gerfen, 1996), executive functions based on connectivity with other brain regions associated with top-down control (Miller & Cohen, 2001), are presented and applied to PFC function in rats with the aim of understanding subregional specificity in the rat PFC....

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  • ...…theories include domain or attribute specificity, (Goldman-Rakic, 1996), level of processing (Petrides, 1996), rule learning based on complexity (Wise et al., 1996), and executive functions based on interconnec- tion with other brain regions associated with top-down control (Miller & Cohen, 2001)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using a novel task which simulates real-life decision-making in the way it factors uncertainty of premises and outcomes, as well as reward and punishment, it is found that prefrontal patients are oblivious to the future consequences of their actions, and seem to be guided by immediate prospects only.

5,532 citations

Book
01 Jan 1995
TL;DR: The fourth edition of The Cognitive Neurosciences continues to chart new directions in the study of the biologic underpinnings of complex cognition -the relationship between the structural and physiological mechanisms of the nervous system and the psychological reality of the mind as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Each edition of this classic reference has proved to be a benchmark in the developing field of cognitive neuroscience. The fourth edition of The Cognitive Neurosciences continues to chart new directions in the study of the biologic underpinnings of complex cognition -- the relationship between the structural and physiological mechanisms of the nervous system and the psychological reality of the mind. The material in this edition is entirely new, with all chapters written specifically for it. Since the publication of the third edition, the field of cognitive neuroscience has made rapid and dramatic advances; fundamental stances are changing and new ideas are emerging. This edition reflects the vibrancy of the field, with research in development and evolution that finds a dynamic growth pattern becoming specific and fixed, and research in plasticity that sees the neuronal systems always changing; exciting new empirical evidence on attention that also verifies many central tenets of longstanding theories; work that shows the boundaries of the motor system pushed further into cognition; memory research that, paradoxically, provides insight into how humans imagine future events; pioneering theoretical and methodological work in vision; new findings on how genes and experience shape the language faculty; new ideas about how the emotional brain develops and operates; and research on consciousness that ranges from a novel mechanism for how the brain generates the baseline activity necessary to sustain conscious experience to a bold theoretical attempt to make the problem of qualia more tractable.

4,285 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An information-processing model is outlined that predicts that performance on non-routine tasks can be impaired independently of performance on routine tasks, related to views on frontal lobe functions, particularly those of Luria.
Abstract: An information-processing model is outlined that predicts that performance on non-routine tasks can be impaired independently of performance on routine tasks. The model is related to views on frontal lobe functions, particularly those of Luria. Two methods of obtaining more rigorous tests of the model are discussed. One makes use of ideas from artificial intelligence to derive a task heavily loaded on planning abilities. A group of patients with left anterior lesions has a specific deficit on the task. Subsidiary investigations support the inference that this is a planning impairment.

3,591 citations


"An analysis of rat prefrontal corte..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Patients with PFC damage have difficulty solving the Tower of London problem (Owen, Downes, Sahakian, Polkey, & Robbins, 1990; Shallice, 1982; Unterrainer & Owen, 2006)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
15 Oct 2004-Science
TL;DR: The authors examined the neural correlates of time discounting while subjects made a series of choices between monetary reward options that varied by delay to delivery and demonstrated that two separate systems are involved in such decisions.
Abstract: When humans are offered the choice between rewards available at different points in time, the relative values of the options are discounted according to their expected delays until delivery. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the neural correlates of time discounting while subjects made a series of choices between monetary reward options that varied by delay to delivery. We demonstrate that two separate systems are involved in such decisions. Parts of the limbic system associated with the midbrain dopamine system, including paralimbic cortex, are preferentially activated by decisions involving immediately available rewards. In contrast, regions of the lateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex are engaged uniformly by intertemporal choices irrespective of delay. Furthermore, the relative engagement of the two systems is directly associated with subjects' choices, with greater relative fronto-parietal activity when subjects choose longer term options.

2,581 citations