The
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (
DLPFC or
DL-PFC) is an area in the
prefrontal cortex of the brain of humans and primates. It is one of the most recently evolved parts of the human brain, that undergoes an extremely prolonged period of maturation that lasts until adulthood. DLPFC is not an anatomical structure, but rather a functional one. This region lies in the middle frontal gyrus of humans (i.e., lateral part of
Brodmann's area (BA) 9 and
46 and in macaque monkeys, this region is around the principal sulcus (i.e., in Walker's area 46 ). Other sources consider that DLPFC is attributed anatomically to BA 9 and 46 and
BA 8, 9 and
10.
DLPFC is connected to the
orbitofrontal cortex, and to a variety of brain areas, which include the
thalamus, parts of the
basal ganglia (specifically, the dorsal
caudate nucleus), the
hippocampus, and primary and secondary association areas of
neocortex, including posterior temporal, parietal, and occipital areas. Also, DLPFC is the end point for the
dorsal pathway (stream) that tells the brain how to interact with the stimuli. On the other hand, the
ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (located more inferior/ventral to DLPFC) is the end point of the
ventral pathway (stream) that brings information about the stimuli’s characteristics.
An important function of the DLPFC is the
executive functions, such as
working memory,
cognitive flexibility, planning, inhibition, and abstract reasoning. However, DLPFC is not exclusively responsible for the executive functions. All complex mental activity requires the additional cortical and subcortical circuits with which the DLPFC is connected. The DLPFC is also the highest cortical area that is involved in motor planning, organization and regulation.