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

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

The research showed a measurable decline in the performance of the prefrontal cortex between initial scans and five-year follow-ups.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

The prefrontal cortex helps guide decisions in fearful situations, while deeper areas such as the periaqueductal gray in the midbrain control responses like freezing or fleeing.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

Even before I first saw the film during last year’s Sundance Film Festival, this one-line elevator pitch was taking up all the space in my prefrontal cortex.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researchers, working largely with monkeys, identified a powerful, multifunctional type of neuron in the prefrontal cortex.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel