前頭連合野の情動・動機づけ機能

Emotional and Motivational Functions of the Prefrontal Cortex

前頭連合野眼窩部の損傷患者や破壊ザルは情動・動機づけ行動に異常を示す。また学習行動の消去や，逆転学習に障害を示す。この脳部位は報酬や嫌悪刺激の価値の評価に関わるとともに，それらの予測，期待にも関係している。またこの脳部位は情動・動機づけに基づく意思決定に重要な役割を果たしている。前頭連合野の外側部や内側部も，情動・動機づけ機能と認知や社会性機能との統合に重要な役割を果たしている。

Abstract

Patients with the damage to the orbital region of the prefrontal cortex and monkeys with lesions in this area show impairment in emotional and motivational behavior. They also have difficulty in the extinction of learned behavior and in the reversal learning. This brain area is concerned with not only the value estimation of reward and aversive stimuli but also the expectation of these stimuli. The lateral prefrontal cortex plays an important role in the integration of emotion/motivation and cognition. The medial prefrontal cortex is concerned with action selection based on the previous reward history. The ventrolateral prefrontal cortex that comprises the anterior parts of the orbital and inferior medial prefrontal cortex plays an important role in emotion-based decision-making.