Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex: Working Memory and Executive Functions

554 Pages·2022·17.751 MB·English

by  Shintaro Funahashi

Brain Science
Shintaro Funahashi
Dorsolateral
Prefrontal
Cortex
Working Memory and Executive
Functions
Brain Science
SeriesEditors
Hideyuki Okano, Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine,
Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo,Japan
AtsushiIriki,LabforSymbolicCognitiveDevelopment,RIKENBrainScience
Institute&RIKENCe,Wako-shi,Saitama,Japan
The “BrainScience Series” providescritical and comprehensivediscussionsof the
most significant areas of neuroscience research, written by scientific leaders and
authorities. Each volume in the series presents the latest and most complete infor-
mationonitsrespectivesubject,makingitanunrivalledreferencesource.Toanalyze
brain functions that have been preserved through evolution, a reductive approach
basedongenemanipulationusingmodelssuchasgeneticallymodifiedrodentswere
mainly used. At the same time, to analyze high-order brain functions that are
uniquely acquired only in non-human primates and humans, analyses of complex
behaviorsusingapsychologicalapproachweremainlyadopted.TheBrainScience
Seriesfocusesonclarifyingtheoperatingprinciplesoftheneuralcircuitrygoverning
thehumanmind,aswellastheaccompanyingmolecularmechanisms.
Shintaro Funahashi
Dorsolateral Prefrontal
Cortex
Working Memory and Executive Functions
ShintaroFunahashi
KokoroResearchCenter
KyotoUniversity
Kyoto,Kyoto,Japan
ISSN2570-0197 ISSN2570-0200 (electronic)
BrainScience
ISBN978-981-19-7267-6 ISBN978-981-19-7268-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7268-3
©SpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.2022
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpartofthe
materialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation,
broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway,andtransmissionorinformation
storageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilarmethodology
nowknownorhereafterdeveloped.
Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthispublication
doesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevant
protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
The publisher, the authors, and the editorsare safeto assume that the adviceand informationin this
bookarebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorsor
theeditorsgiveawarranty,expressedorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinorforany
errorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremainsneutralwithregardtojurisdictional
claimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations.
ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbytheregisteredcompanySpringerNatureSingaporePteLtd.
The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721,
Singapore
This book is dedicated to my two great
mentors, Profs. Kisou Kubota and Prof.
Patricia S. Goldman-Rakic, and my wife,
Mihoko Funahashi.
Preface
The prefrontal cortex is known to participate in a variety of higher cognitive
functionsincludingappropriateplanning,thinking,reasoning,anddecision-making.
The prefrontal cortex occupies a larger part in the cerebral cortex compared with
other association cortices and consists of three main sectors (lateral, medial, and
orbital sectors). Among these three sectors, the lateral sector, especially the dorso-
lateralpartoftheprefrontalcortex,isverywellknowntoplaymostimportantroles
inthosehighercognitivefunctions.Sinceneurophysiologicalstudiesusingmonkeys
hadbeenstartedin1970sandsinceneuroimagingstudiesusinghumansubjectshad
been started in 1990s, huge amount of information regarding prefrontal functions
and their neural mechanisms has been accumulated. Based on accumulated infor-
mation, several important books focused on prefrontal functions have been
published. These include The Prefrontal Cortex (fifth edition) by Joaquin
M. Fuster and The Neurobiology of the Prefrontal Cortex by Richard
E.PassinghamandStevenP.Wise.Theformeristhemostcomprehensivetextbook
oftheprefrontalcortexandthetopicsincludeanatomy,pharmacology,animaland
human neuropsychology, neurophysiology, human neuroimaging, and a theory of
prefrontal functions. I have used this book as the most important reference book
from the first edition. In the latter, the authors described functions of each of five
sectors (medial, orbital, caudal, dorsal, and ventral) of the prefrontal cortex and
summarized the function of the prefrontal cortex as generating goals from current
contextsandevents.ThethirdbookisPrinciplesofFrontallobeFunction(second
edition) edited by Donald T. Stuss and Robert T. Knight, which is based on the
secondsymposiumontheprefrontalcortexheldatTorontoin2010andconsistsofa
varietyof topicsincluding models, social behavior, clinical neuropsychology, psy-
chiatricdisorders,andrehabilitation.
Thesebooksareimportantonestounderstandfunctionsoftheprefrontalcortex.
Since1972,alargeamountofneurophysiologicalresultshasbeenaccumulatedfor
the functions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. It has been recognized that
working memory is a useful concept to understand several important functions of
the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. However, there is no book which focuses on
functionsofthedorsolateralprefrontalcortexandtheirrelationstoworkingmemory.
vii
viii Preface
Therefore, this book focuses mainly on functions of the dorsolateral prefrontal
cortex, especially how neural mechanisms related to working memory contribute
to these functions. I have investigated dorsolateral prefrontal functions using mon-
keys by neurophysiological techniques since 1977 at Kyoto University and Yale
university. Therefore, I mainly focus on neurophysiological results obtained from
monkeydorsolateralprefrontalcortexinthisbook.Becauseofthisreason,notmany
studies regarding human neuroimaging studies,pharmacologicalstudies,and theo-
retical studies are included in this book. However, I think that I can show and
summarize important studies to understand dorsolateral prefrontal functions and
their neural mechanisms in this book, which include working memory, executive
control, cognitive control and memory management, decision-making, metacogni-
tion,andtop-downcontrol.
Kyoto,Japan ShintaroFunahashi
April27,2022
Acknowledgments
IwouldliketoexpressmysincerethankstoProf.KisouKubotaatKyotoUniversity
for the long-time support and encouragement to my research. I would also like to
express my sincere thanks to Late Prof. Patricia S. Goldman-Rakic and Charles
J.BruceatYaleUniversityfortheirextremelyvaluablesupportandkindhelpduring
my7-yearstayatYaleUniversityandthereafter.Andfinally,Iwouldliketoexpress
my sincere thanks to the students of my group at Kyoto University, especially to
MasatoInoue,KazuyoshiTakeda,YumikoWatanabe,SatoeIchihara-Takeda,Saori
Igaki, Kei Watanabe, Jorge Mario Andreau, Kei Mochizuki, and Akio Tanaka.
Without working with the students of my group at Kyoto University, this book
would not be possible. I would like to thank for the funds (KAKENHI) from the
JapaneseMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology(MEXT)
and from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the funds from
JapanScienceandtechnologyAgency(JST)forsupportingmyresearchactivitiesat
Kyoto University. I also express my thanks to Beijing Institute of Technology and
Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology for supporting my continuation of
prefrontalresearchesinChinaaftermyretirementfromKyotoUniversity.
ix
Contents
1 DorsolateralPrefrontalCortex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 ThePrefrontalCortex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 FeaturesofthePrefrontalCortex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4 AnatomicalFeaturesofthePrefrontalCortex. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.4.1 CytoarchitectonicFeatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.4.2 CytoarchitectonicFeaturesoftheLateralPrefrontal
Cortex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.4.3 RelationstotheThalamicMediodorsalNucleus. . . . 13
1.4.4 GranularLayerIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.4.5 Mesulam’sCorticalClassification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.5 AnatomicalFeaturesoftheLateralPrefrontalCortex. . . . . . . . 18
1.5.1 CellularComponents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.5.2 AnatomicalHeterogeneityinArea46. . . .. . . . . . .. 23
1.5.3 Cortico-CorticalConnections. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 26
1.5.4 Cortico-SubcorticalConnections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
1.5.5 IntracorticalStructures:ColumnarOrganization. . .. 33
1.6 FunctionalFeaturesoftheLateralPrefrontalCortex. . . . . . . . 34
1.6.1 HumanPrefrontalFunctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
1.6.2 FunctionalHeterogeneityofthePrefrontalCortex. . . 37
1.6.3 FunctionalHeterogeneityinHumanPrefrontal
Cortex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
1.6.4 FunctionalDevelopmentofthePrefrontalCortex. . . 41
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2 HistoricalPerspectiveofPrefrontalResearch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
2.1 FunctionalLocalizationoftheCerebralCortex. . . . . . . . . . . . 53
2.2 HistoricalPerspectiveofFrontalLobeFunctions. . . . . . . . . . . 55
2.2.1 DebateBetweenHolisticTheoryandLocalization
Theory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
xi