行動認知制御の神経科学—前頭前野内の機能分化

Neuroscience on Cognitive Control of Behavior: Functional Division among Prefrontal Areas

前頭前野は霊長類で大きく発達し，行動の認知制御において重要な役割を果たすと考えられている。大脳の視覚系や運動系では領野間の機能分化の研究が進んだ。前頭前野についても他の脳部位との解剖学的結合の違いから少なくとも数個の領野に区分されることがわかっている。しかし，前頭前野の機能分化の研究はあまり進んでいない。機能分化の知見は複雑な行動の認知制御過程をより要素的な過程に分解して理解することも助けると期待される。

Abstract

The prefrontal cortex is greatly developed in primates and is considered to play an important role in cognitive control of behavior. In the visual and motor systems, research into the functional division between cortical areas has advanced. The prefrontal cortex has also been shown to be divided into several areas which have different anatomical connections with other brain sites. However, the functional division among prefrontal cortical areas has been less well studied. Knowledge of the functional division is expected to help in understanding the cognitive control of complex behaviors in terms of more elementary processes.