prefrontal cortex

American  

[pree-fruhn-tl kawr-teks] / ˈpriˌfrʌn tl ˈkɔr tɛks /

noun

1. the forwardmost part of the frontal lobe, associated with complex brain functions such as emotional expression, behavioral regulation, decision making, attention, and planning: part of the cerebral cortex.

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Etymology

Origin of prefrontal cortex

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prefrontal cortex

The researchers found that information from the newly developed car selective area in the temporal cortex could bypass the prefrontal cortex and travel directly to brain regions responsible for producing responses.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

Study participants’ brains could automate tasks—answers a Slack message from Leigh—by offloading them from the prefrontal cortex to other regions of their brains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Research suggests that trauma can leave the amygdala—the brain’s threat-detection center—chronically overactivated, while dampening the prefrontal cortex, which governs reasoning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

Two key regions are often involved: the amygdala, which helps shape the sense of safety or threat, and the prefrontal cortex, which supports planning, decision making, and emotional control.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026

Finally she says, “Someone instruct Ms. Prior as to what the prefrontal cortex does.”

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth