concept

ventrolateral prefrontal cortex

Also known as: VLPFC, ventral lateral prefrontal cortex

Facts (11)

Sources

Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART) frontiersin.org Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 11 facts

claimDecreased ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activity is associated with increased approach behavior and the expression of positive affect according to data from Light et al. (2011).

claimThe EES (Enactive-Embodied-Self) network involves neural systems related to preparatory behavior and pre-motor aspects of goal-directed action selection, including the association somatosensory cortices, pulvinar, intraparietal sulcus (IPS), frontal eye fields (FEF), supplementary motor area (SMA), pre-motor area (PMA), cerebellum, dorsal basal ganglia, superior parietal lobe, and ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC).

claimMeditators using an experiential first-person perspective (FPP) focus toward valenced trait descriptive words exhibit a shift in neural activity away from midline cortices toward a right lateralized network consisting of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), compared to those using an evaluative focus.

claimBilateral ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) likely plays roles in both non-conscious and conscious processing, with right VLPFC activity specifically associated with conscious forms of specialization such as response inhibition, and integrated roles with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), motor areas, and the medial temporal lobe.

referenceLight et al. (2011) found that reduced right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex activity while inhibiting positive affect is associated with improvement in hedonic capacity after 8 weeks of antidepressant treatment in major depressive disorder, published in Biological Psychiatry.

referenceThe ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is involved in recollecting mnemonic associations and identifying conflict in actions or choices relative to the present context, as described by Ridderinkhof et al. (2004).

referenceMorgan and Ledoux (1999) studied the contribution of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to the acquisition and extinction of conditioned fear in rats.

referenceThe ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is active during effortful and controlled processing, including the inhibition of set-switching and inhibitory control tasks such as go-nogo tasks, as noted by Posner and Petersen (1990).

measurementIncreased dispositional mindfulness, as measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), correlates with increased activation of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and attenuated activation in the amygdala, according to Lieberman et al. (2007).

claimThe ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is a crucial part of the circuitry that creates associations between sensory cues and the actions or choices they specify, as evidenced by monkey lesion studies and neuroimaging findings.

referenceSubdivisions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) implicated in emotion and cognitive control processes, including decision-making, appraisal, and impulse control, include the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC).