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Related Concept Videos

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Lobes of the Cerebrum01:22

Lobes of the Cerebrum

The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements.
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
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Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Online Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Dorsomedial and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Cognition Decision Making, and Cognitive Dissonance
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Separate Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Regions Participate in Distinct Large-Scale Networks Differentially Recruited

Lauren M DiNicola1, Randy L Buckner2,3,4

  • 1Dept. of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|July 7, 2026
PubMed
Summary

The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) shows specialized regions. Specific dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) areas are dedicated to social processing (theory-of-mind) or working memory, linked to distinct brain networks.

Keywords:
association networkscognitive controldorsolateral prefrontal cortextheory of mind

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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is known to be functionally heterogeneous.
  • Previous research in monkeys and humans suggests distinct regions within the PFC, including the dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC), may specialize based on their embedded distributed networks.
  • Evidence points to PFC regions specializing in scene processing, language, and cognitive control, adjacent to flexible regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional specialization of DLPFC regions associated with social processing, specifically theory-of-mind (ToM) tasks.
  • To determine if distinct DLPFC regions are preferentially recruited by social processing versus other cognitive demands, such as working memory.
  • To understand PFC specialization by examining the role of embedded distributed networks.

Main Methods:

  • Employed within-individual precision neuroimaging techniques to identify distinct DLPFC regions.
  • Analyzed functional responses within these identified regions during theory-of-mind (ToM) and working memory tasks.
  • Utilized a sample of 13 individuals (N=13) to examine idiosyncratic anatomical and functional specializations.

Main Results:

  • Identified two anatomically distinct DLPFC regions within each individual's unique brain anatomy, embedded in parallel distributed networks.
  • Observed a robust functional double dissociation: one DLPFC region preferentially responded to ToM tasks, while a nearby region responded to working memory demands.
  • Found that the social processing-preferential region was small and varied slightly in location across individuals, potentially explaining its underrepresentation in group analyses.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support increased functional specialization within the PFC beyond common assumptions.
  • DLPFC exhibits distinct regions specialized for specific cognitive domains, such as social cognition (ToM) and working memory.
  • The specialization of PFC regions is strongly influenced by the distributed neural networks in which they are embedded.