Prefrontal Cortex and Episodic Memory: Integrating Findings from Neuropsychology and Functional Brain Imaging

INTRODUCTION Although it has been speculated for many years that the prefrontal cortex plays a role in long-term memory for events, or episodic memory, only recently have researchers made a concerted attempt to define this role. Most theories of prefrontal function suggest that this region implements " top-down " or " executive " processes that influence a variety of domains, including memory. For example, Luria (1966) postulated a role for the frontal lobes in the regulation of voluntary attention and the organization of goal-directed behavior. Building on the work of Luria, Shallice (1982) argued that the frontal lobes are required for the attentional selection of schemes of action in novel situations. A complementary role suggested for the prefrontal cortex is the suppression of additionally proposed that the frontal lobes prepare sensory areas for environmental changes that will be induced by motor actions.