前頭葉と情動メカニズム

Frontal lobe and emotional mechanism

前頭前野（前頭連合野）は行動を制御している脳の最高中枢である。情動を伴う行動の制御は，前頭前野の腹内側部，情動を伴わない行動の制御は，背外側部が関係している。情動を受容して，行動がどのように発現されるか，今までの報告を綜説した。Phineas P. Gage, EVRが前頭前野腹内側部の傷害で情動性行動の異常をきたしている。これがどのようなメカニズムで起こるかを論じた。

Recent studies on the prefrontal cortex and emotion were reviewd. The dorsolateral part of the prefrontal cortex is beginning to be elucidated by visual imaging studies of the human and neuroanatomical and neurophysiological studies of the primate, but studies of the ventromedial part of the prefrontal cortex has been ignored. A recent case report of patient EVR who showed severe disturbances in social behavior and emotional evaluation stimulated studies on the prefrontally originated emotional behaviors. Famous patient, Phineas P. Gage, also had damages in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. It is hypothesized that the function of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, including the frontal pole, is to control emotionally originated behavior.