the human prefrontal cortex differs from all other mammals: the seat of complex cognition, abstract thinking, planning and future forecasting, and behavioral inhibition. using our prefrontal cortex is a significant energy drain on the body, so despite its impressive capabilities, it’s daily capacity is limited. some researchers estimate a mere 2-3 hours per day of activity depletes the prefront...

BACKGROUND Dysregulation in the prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens pathway has been implicated in cocaine addiction. We have previously demonstrated that one intra-dorsomedial prefrontal cortex brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) infusion immediately following the last cocaine self-administration session caused a long-lasting inhibition of cocaine-seeking and normalized the cocaine-induce...

The projections from the amygdala and hippocampus (including subiculum and presubiculum) to prefrontal cortex were compared using anterograde tracers injected into macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis, Macaca mulatta). Almost all prefrontal areas were found to receive some amygdala inputs. These connections, which predominantly arose from the intermediate and magnocellular basal nucleus, were p...

The medial prefrontal cortex modulates the nucleus accumbens dopamine response to stress and has been implicated in feedback regulation of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activation by stress. Here we report on the effects of bilateral neonatal (postnatal day 7) ibotenate-induced lesions to the medial prefrontal cortex on nucleus accumbens dopamine and neuroendocrine function in adult rats....

The subthalamic nucleus is a key site controlling motor function in humans. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus can improve movements in patients with Parkinson's disease; however, for unclear reasons, it can also have cognitive effects. Here, we show that the human subthalamic nucleus is monosynaptically connected with cognitive brain areas such as the prefrontal cortex. Single n...

Although altered function in neural reward circuitry is widely proposed in models of addiction, more recent conceptual views have emphasized the role of disrupted response in prefrontal regions. Changes in regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are postulated to contribute to the compulsivity, impulsivity, and altered executive fun...

Eyelid opening stretches mechanoreceptors in the supratarsal Müller muscle to activate the proprioceptive fiber supplied by the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus. This proprioception induces reflex contractions of the slow-twitch fibers in the levator palpebrae superioris and frontalis muscles to sustain eyelid and eyebrow positions against gravity. The cell bodies of the trigeminal propriocepti...

introduction: this study was conducted to determine the possible beneficial results of l-arginine on prefrontal cortex of rats which impressed by immobilization stress to define the synchronous impression of stress and nitric oxide (no) on evolution of prefrontal cortex of rats after birth. methods: forty-eight one month, male wistar rats were divided into two groups: stressed and non-stressed....

Humans are remarkably proficient at some sophisticated and abstract tasks such as learning, memory and flexibility. These tasks depend on the prefrontal cortex, the cortical region most evolved in primates (Fuster, 2001; Miller & Cohen, 2001). The prefrontal cortex includes the most anterior structures of the frontal lobes, with some imprecise anatomical boundaries between different species of ...