Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex · Grey Matter

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is the upper outer part of the prefrontal cortex that holds a goal and its rules in mind while a task runs: it keeps a phone number for the seconds it takes to dial it, switches strategy when the rule changes and reappraises a situation when an emotion needs to be reined in.

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is the upper outer part of the prefrontal cortex that holds a goal and its rules in mind while a task runs: it keeps a phone number for the seconds it takes to dial it, switches strategy when the rule changes and reappraises a situation when an emotion needs to be reined in.

It lies on the middle frontal gyrus, roughly Brodmann areas 9 and 46. It connects strongly with the posterior parietal lobe, with which it forms the core network of working memory, and with the basal ganglia, through which it biases which action is selected. It holds little emotional input of its own and influences the amygdala mostly through the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the cingulate cortex.

It is the area that tires in sustained effort. Tasks that demand holding rules against habit (the Stroop test, planning a route, mental arithmetic) light it up, and performance falls when it is disrupted.

It appears in almost every example circuit of the atlas that involves deliberate control: solving a maths problem, finding lost keys, choosing what to eat against the craving, holding back an outburst.

Damage leaves a dysexecutive picture. Patients perseverate on old rules, plan poorly and are easily distracted, while knowledge and memory for facts stay intact.

Questions: Which areas hold a phone number in mind for the seconds it takes to dial it? Holding the number is working memory, run by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex together with the posterior parietal cortex, with the speech and auditory areas keeping the sound of the digits rehearsed. Prefrontal neurons keep firing during the delay, which protects the digits from interference, and silent repetition refreshes them. Seven to ten digits are close to the limit, and grouping them into chunks (three, three and four) is what makes a longer number fit. Which areas are working when you hold back an angry outburst? The provocation drives the amygdala, which pushes toward an immediate response through the hypothalamus and brainstem (heart rate, tension, a raised voice). The anterior cingulate cortex registers the conflict between that impulse and the goal of staying calm, and calls for more control. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex holds the goal and the reappraisal (it was not meant as an insult), and acts on the amygdala mostly through the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Whether the outburst comes depends on how strong the alarm is against how well this control is working, and fatigue, stress and alcohol all weaken the control side. Is there a mathematics area, or which areas solve a sum in your head? There is no single mathematics area; several networks share the work. The horizontal segment of the intraparietal sulcus represents quantity (it is active whenever two numbers are compared), the left angular gyrus retrieves facts learned verbally such as multiplication tables, and the posterior superior parietal lobe moves attention along the mental number line. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex holds intermediate results in working memory and plans the steps, and the anterior cingulate cortex catches errors and conflicts along the way.