Computational Models of Prefrontal Cortex: Two Complementary Approaches

Excerpt

The frontal lobe cortex is among the brain regions that evolve the most across mammals. In rodents, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) comprises the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate complex (ACC), as well as the prelimbic and infralimbic areas in the medial wall. In primates, the PFC has evolved with the addition of the lateral PFC. In humans, the PFC features the further development of its most anterior part, especially in the lateral sector, and is often named the frontopolar cortex. Human patients with PFC lesions exhibit little impairments in basic sensorimotor, memory, learning, and language functions. Thus, the PFC function fulfills additional, more abstract functional demands. Its characterization has long remained elusive through the use of poorly defined notions such as executive/cognitive control, working memory, or cognitive flexibility. Here, computational models are shown to overcome these theoretical shortcomings by providing more precise accounts, predictions, and simulations of PFC function at the neuronal and behavioral levels. Two approaches have been developed in neurobiology and cognitive neuroscience, respectively. Time is ripe to integrate the two for a cross-level understanding of PFC function.