prefrontal cortex

[pree-fruhn-tl kawr-teks]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of prefrontal cortex¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

After all, you’re a human moving about the earth, and that means you’ve had this information disseminated through one of millions of T.S.-branded channels and firmly planted in your prefrontal cortex.

From Salon

The disease starts with small lesions developing in the prefrontal cortex, along the brain stem, which sets off a chain reaction that slowly kills brain cells.

From Los Angeles Times

That universality, coupled with the sense that before the prefrontal cortex has fully formed, feelings will always run hot and bright, meant that the writers had a lot of empathy for these characters.

From Los Angeles Times

Specifically, the areas of the medial prefrontal cortex responsible for processing social environments were active when infants were exposed to faces.

From Salon

She found that nostalgic music activated an area of the brain typically associated with remembering personal experiences and narratives called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, along with the reward networks of the brain.

From Salon