The cingulate cortex

Abstract

The cingulate cortex is involved in action-outcome learning. The concept is that posterior cingulate cortex action-related information received from the parietal cortex is brought together in the cingulate cortex with the anterior cingulate cortex reward outcome-related information received from the orbitofrontal cortex, and via the midcingulate cortex the result of action-outcome learning can influence premotor areas. In addition, the posterior cingulate cortex has major connectivity with the parahippocampal cortex, which in turn projects spatial information to the entorhinal cortex and thereby into the hippocampal episodic memory system. The posterior cingulate cortex thus provides a route for spatial including visuo-spatial information to reach the hippocampus, where it can be combined with object and reward-related information to form episodic memories.