What Is the Frontal Cortex?

Prefrontal cortex (PFC) refers to all frontal cortex except primary and secondary motor cortex. The primate's prefrontal cortex is divided into three subregions: dorsal PFC, ventral medial PFC, and orbitofrontal cortex. The skills of PFC are asymmetric, with PFC on the left related to positive feelings and PFC on the right related to negative feelings.

Prefrontal cortex

Prefrontal cortex (PFC). Various parts of the prefrontal cortex are related to emotions.

Study of normal prefrontal cortex

Davidson and colleagues (Davidson et al. 1990) report that disgust and fear induced by emotional films can increase activation of the right prefrontal and anterior temporal lobes, while induced positive emotions can trigger opposite asymmetric activation patterns. Sutton (1997) and others used positron emission tomography to measure regional glucose metabolism in the brain. They found that when negative emotions occur, the metabolic rate of the right frontal orbital forehead and forebrain will increase. At the time, the metabolic rate of the left posterior central cerebral gyrus increased. Research by Beauregard (2001) shows that in response to negative pictures, the right anterior temporal lobe becomes activated.

Study of patients with prefrontal cortical brain injury

Comparing the moods of patients with left and right brain injury, depression was found after left PFC injury. The reason is that this brain area is involved in the processing of positive emotions, which leads to a loss of the ability to experience positive emotions after injury, which is a hallmark feature of depression. Studies by Morris (1997) and others have shown that left PFC injury is associated with depressive symptoms.

Study of Prefrontal Cortical Mood Disorders

Davidson et al. (2000) found that when the social phobia was expecting a public speech, the right prefrontal cortex was strongly activated compared to the control group. Similarly, the activation of the right anterior temporal region was significantly higher than that of the control group, while the activation of the left anterior temporal region was significantly lower than that of the control group. Rauch (1997) and others found that when the trial induced anxiety, the lower right PFC and the right center frame of the anxiety patient were activated.

The above research shows that the left PFC is related to the approach system and positive feelings, and the right PFC is related to the withdrawal system and negative feelings.