{"title":"Evolution of the Prefrontal Cortex in the Hominins","authors":"R. Passingham","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0009","url":null,"abstract":"When body weight is taken into account, there was a rapid expansion of the brain during the evolution of the hominins, with the greatest increase occurring from around 400,000 years ago. After this time there is evidence of the bulging of the frontal lobe indicating the further expansion of the prefrontal (PF) cortex. Many selection pressures could have influenced these changes, but all of them involve a change in environment. This could occur via climatic change, via changes in the ecosystem, by migration, or by changes in the cultural environment. The cultural environment includes technology such as stone tool making, cooperation in hunting, and the improvements in communication that this required. The adaptation to new environments requires the solution of new problems, and this was aided by the ability of the PF cortex to support rapid transfer from one problem to another.","PeriodicalId":396575,"journal":{"name":"Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex","volume":"72 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129982244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prefrontal Cortex","authors":"R. Passingham","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0008","url":null,"abstract":"The key to the granular prefrontal (PF) cortex is that it sits at the top of the sensory processing hierarchy, the motor hierarchy, and the outcome hierarchy. This means that it is a position to learn abstract task rules. These relate to conditional tasks that involve sequences, associations, and attentional performance. Because they can learn abstract rules, primates can show specific behavioural transfer from one problem to another when the problems share the same logic. And, since the different PF areas are closely interconnected, the PF cortex provides a general-purpose mechanism for the rapid solution of novel tasks.","PeriodicalId":396575,"journal":{"name":"Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131963868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Medial Prefrontal Cortex","authors":"R. Passingham","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0003","url":null,"abstract":"In primates, the medial prefrontal cortex (PF) supports sequences of self-generated actions that are performed spontaneously and without external cues to instruct the action that is appropriate. Instead, the actions are performed on the basis of memories of previous events and their outcomes. Inputs from the parahippocampal and hippocampal cortex provide information about the scene or context; and inputs from the amygdala and orbital prefrontal cortex specify the outcomes. In ancestral anthropoids the hippocampal system for navigation was co-opted to support the retrieval of sequences of actions performed with the hand and arm, as in foraging. Outputs to the medial premotor areas influence the choice of actions, either for exploiting current resources or for exploring so as to find new ones. In anthropoids, visual and auditory inputs also convey the actions of conspecifics and predators so that the animal can predict what others are going to do.","PeriodicalId":396575,"journal":{"name":"Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129474070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evolution of the Prefrontal Cortex in Non-human Primates","authors":"R. Passingham","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0002","url":null,"abstract":"The primate prefrontal (PF) cortex evolved in phases. The first PF granular areas emerged as early primates and their closest ancestors adapted to an arboreal life. These areas improved the use of vision to search for foods and decide whether they were edible. Another phase of PF evolution occurred in anthropoids as they adapted to a diurnal life. They increased in body size and foraged over large distances, using foveal vision to search for resources. This exposed them to new competitors and encouraged social grouping, the advantage being that there are many eyes on the lookout for danger. The brain expanded in relation to the size of the body (encephalization) and the cortex expanded as a proportion of the brain (corticalization). At the same time, new PF areas emerged.","PeriodicalId":396575,"journal":{"name":"Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132784231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Orbital Prefrontal Cortex","authors":"R. Passingham, S. Wise","doi":"10.1093/ACPROF:OSOBL/9780199552917.003.0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ACPROF:OSOBL/9780199552917.003.0004","url":null,"abstract":"The orbital prefrontal cortex (PF) receives inputs from the olfactory, gustatory, somatosensory, visceral, and visual cortex. It is also interconnected with the amygdala which represents the current value of the resources, given the internal state of the animal. The worth of the different foods is compared in a ‘common currency’ of value. The central sector of the orbital prefrontal cortex uses vision to predict the value of the resources. These changes depend on the extent to which the animal has already become satiated on a particular food, and an interaction between the amygdala and the orbital PF cortex supports the ability to choose a new food, rather than the one on which the animal has become satiated. The lateral sector of the orbital PF cortex supports the ability to change behaviour depending on the outcome.","PeriodicalId":396575,"journal":{"name":"Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115218260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ventral Prefrontal Cortex","authors":"R. E. Passingham, S. P. Wise","doi":"10.1093/ACPROF:OSOBL/9780199552917.003.0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ACPROF:OSOBL/9780199552917.003.0007","url":null,"abstract":"The ventral prefrontal cortex learns to associate objects, faces, and vocalizations, and its connectional fingerprint explains why it alone can do so. It receives visual inputs from the inferior temporal cortex and auditory ones from the superior temporal cortex. It combines these inputs with those from the orbital prefrontal (PF) cortex so as to specify the goal that is currently desirable. This is then transformed into the target of search via connections with the frontal eye field and the target for manual retrieval via connections with the premotor areas. The ventral PF cortex can also learn to form associations between objects, for example by linking them into categories. These can be retrieved from long-term memory via connections with the hippocampus.","PeriodicalId":396575,"journal":{"name":"Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114385430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dorsal Prefrontal Cortex","authors":"R. E. Passingham, S. P. Wise","doi":"10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199552917.003.0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199552917.003.0006","url":null,"abstract":"The dorsal prefrontal (PF) cortex generates and plans the goals or targets for foveal search and manual foraging. The goals are conditional on the relative recency of prior events and actions, and the connections of areas 9/46 and 46 explain how these areas can support the ability to generate the next goal. Area 9/46 can generate sequences of eye movements because it has visuospatial inputs from the cortex in the intraparietal sulcus and outputs to the frontal eye field and superior colliculus. Area 46 can generate sequences of hand and arm movements because it has inputs from the inferior parietal areas PFG and SII and outputs to the forelimb regions of the premotor areas and thence to the motor cortex. Both areas get timing and order information indirectly from the parietal cortex and hippocampus, and colour and shape information from the ventral prefrontal cortex. Inputs from the orbital prefrontal cortex enable both areas to integrate generate goals in accordance with current needs.","PeriodicalId":396575,"journal":{"name":"Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114390817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Caudal Prefrontal Cortex","authors":"R. E. Passingham, S. P. Wise","doi":"10.1093/ACPROF:OSOBL/9780199552917.003.0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ACPROF:OSOBL/9780199552917.003.0005","url":null,"abstract":"The caudal prefrontal (PF) cortex supports the visual search for objects such as foods both through eye movements and covert attention, and its connections explain how it can do this. The caudal PF cortex, which includes the frontal eye field, has connections with both the dorsal and ventral visual streams. The direction of eye movements depends on its connections with the superior colliculus and oculomotor nuclei. Covert attention depends on enhanced sensory responses that are mediated through top-down interactions with posterior sensory areas. Along with the granular parts of the orbital PF cortex, the caudal PF cortex evolved in early primates. Together, these two new areas led to improvements in searching for and evaluating objects that are hidden in a cluttered environment.","PeriodicalId":396575,"journal":{"name":"Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133089026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}