https://github.com/cognitivetech/prefrontal-psych

prefrontal cortex and its impact on mental health
https://github.com/cognitivetech/prefrontal-psych

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prefrontal cortex and its impact on mental health

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/cognitivetech/prefrontal-psych
• Owner: cognitivetech
• Created: 2023-10-29T19:30:56.000Z (over 2 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2024-10-03T02:08:25.000Z (over 1 year ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-07-25T03:48:41.743Z (11 months ago)
• Homepage:
• Size: 15.6 KB
• Stars: 0
• Watchers: 2
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

          
# Prefrontal Cortex

Traditional psychological diagnoses are based around clusters of symptoms, rather than a wholistic approach that looks to the systemic causes of mental dis-ease.

Neither do they look to the ways that disruptions in physical structures of the brain bring about those symptoms.

My hypothesis is that mental health primarily revolves around the relationship between our prefrontal-cortex and amygdala. Regardless of diagnosis, its likely this neural circuit that is disrupted, which may preclude our ability to improve regardless of theraputic treatment modality.

## Overview

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a complex brain region with various subregions, each associated with different functions and behaviors. While the boundaries between these subregions are not always sharply defined, there are several well-known parts of the prefrontal cortex, each contributing to specific aspects of cognition, emotion, and behavior. Here are some key subregions of the prefrontal cortex:

- Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC):

  - Located on the lateral (side) surface of the prefrontal cortex.

  - Associated with executive functions, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and decision-making.

  - Plays a role in planning, problem-solving, and the regulation of attention.

  

- Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (VMPFC):

  - Located on the ventral (bottom) and medial (middle) surface of the prefrontal cortex.

  - Involved in emotional regulation, social behavior, and decision-making.

  - Plays a role in assessing rewards and risks, as well as in empathy and social cognition.

   

- Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC):

  - Located on the orbital surface of the frontal lobes, just above the orbits (eye sockets).

  - Involved in reward processing, emotional regulation, and decision-making.

  - Plays a role in evaluating the emotional significance of stimuli and adjusting behavior accordingly.

- Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC):

  - Located in the medial part of the frontal lobes, above the corpus callosum.

  - Associated with cognitive control, error detection, and conflict monitoring.

  - Plays a role in attention regulation, decision-making, and autonomic functions.

    

- Medial Prefrontal Cortex (MPFC):

  - Encompasses several areas along the midline of the prefrontal cortex.

  - Involved in self-referential processing, social cognition, and theory of mind.

  - Associated with aspects of personality, self-awareness, and moral decision-making.

- Frontopolar Cortex (FPC):

  - Located at the very front of the prefrontal cortex.

  - Associated with high-level cognitive functions, including future planning, goal setting, and strategic thinking.

 

It's important to note that these subregions of the prefrontal cortex are interconnected and often work in concert to support complex cognitive and behavioral functions. Additionally, advances in neuroscientific research may lead to further refinements and subdivisions of these regions as our understanding of the brain continues to evolve.

## Associations

- [Delay of gratification is associated with white matter connectivity in the dorsal prefrontal cortex: a diffusion tensor imaging study in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590457/) NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV

- [Molecular Modulation of Prefrontal Cortex: Rational Development of Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109197/) NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV

- [Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907136/) NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV

- [Trama and the brain](https://traumaticstress.nhs.wales/.../trauma-and-the-brain/) TRAUMATICSTRESS.NHS.WALES

- [ALCOHOL AND THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3593065/) NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV