The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is located in the very front of the brain, just
behind the forehead. In charge of abstract thinking and thought analysis, it is
also responsible for regulating behavior. This includes mediating conflicting
thoughts, making choices between right and wrong, and predicting the probable
outcomes of actions or events. This brain area also governs social control,
such as suppressing emotional or sexual urges. Since the prefrontal cortex is
the brain center responsible for taking in data through the body's senses and
deciding on actions, it is most strongly implicated in human qualities like
consciousness, general intelligence, and personality.
PFC Function
This vital
region of the brain regulates thought in terms of both short-term and long-term
decision making. It allows humans to plan ahead and create strategies, and also
to adjust actions or reactions in changing situations. Additionally, the PFC
helps to focus thoughts, which enables people to pay attention, learn, and
concentrate on goals. This area is also the part of the brain that allows
humans to consider several different yet related lines of thinking when
learning or evaluating complex concepts or tasks. The prefrontal cortex also
houses active, working memory.
Since the
PFC controls intense emotions and impulses, it is sometimes referred to as the
seat of good judgement. As such, a properly functioning prefrontal cortex
inhibits inappropriate behaviors — including delaying gratification of needs,
for things like food or sex — while encouraging wise, acceptable choices. In
part, this occurs because it works to allow humans to balance immediate reward
with long-term goals.
Brain Development
The prefrontal cortex has remarkably expanded in size throughout
human evolution, culminating in modern Homo
sapiens. This suggests a strong selection pressure in favor of its
continued growth and development. The size of the PFC relative to the rest of
the brain has also increased over that time; while the brain itself has only
increased in size about threefold in the past five million years, the size of
the PFC has increased sixfold.
Medical studies have shown that the PFC is the last section of the
brain to mature. In other words, while all other brain regions are fully
developed early in life, its development is not complete until around age 25.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research
has revealed that the prefrontal cortex changes a great deal during
adolescence, as the brain's myelin matures and connects all regions of the brain together. This late
growth and development is likely the reason that some otherwise intelligent and
sensible teens engage in high-risk or excessive behaviors even though they
understand the potential dangers.
Damage to the PFC
Unfortunately,
the PFC is one of the brain regions most susceptible to injury. When the
pathways between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain are damaged or
altered, serious personality changes can result. This is logical, since the PFC
regulates so many behavior and thought-processing pathways, but can be
debilitating and difficult for the injured individual as well as his family and
social circle. A person who had been reserved and contemplative can become
reckless and impulsive after such an injury. Likewise, a formerly outgoing
person can become quiet and withdrawn.
A damaged
PFC can negatively impact a person's ability to assess situations or perform
tasks, particularly those of a moral or ethical nature. Since social judgements
are made in this brain area, these people can also be rendered unable to
discern appropriate behavior or suffer from emotional distress, such as
irrational fears, anxiety, euphoria, and irritability. Some studies have found
weak interconnections between the PFC and the rest of the brain among
criminals, sociopaths, drug addicts, and schizophrenics, which may be further
evidence of the importance of this part of the brain in individual behavior and
decision-making.
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