Anatomic and Behavioral Aspects of Frontal‐Subcortical Circuitsa
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences December 1, 1995 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1995.tb38127.x via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractFrontal-subcortical circuits, originating in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex, provide a framework for understanding the anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmacology of behavior. Circuit-specific marker behaviors include executive dysfunction (dorsolateral prefrontal-subcortical circuit), disinhibition and OCD (orbitofrontal-subcortical circuit), and apathy (medial frontal-subcortical circuit). Environmental dependency is common to all prefrontal-subcortical syndromes and may reflect disruption of working memory. Depression, mania, and psychosis are circuit-related but not circuit-specific. The actions of PCP, LSD, serotonergic antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedative-hypnotics, antipsychotic agents, and ethanol may be partially or primarily mediated through transmitter systems and receptor effects expressed through frontal-subcortical circuits.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Disinhibition Psychology Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Frontal lobe Orbitofrontal cortex |
| Citations | 362 |
| Key finding | Frontal-subcortical circuits provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmacology of behavior, with circuit-specific marker behaviors for executive dysfunction, disinhibition and OCD, and apathy. |
Abstract
Frontal-subcortical circuits provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmacology of behavior. The three principal behaviorally relevant circuits originate in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex, respectively. Circuit-specific marker behaviors associated with each circuit are executive dysfunction (dorsolateral prefrontal-subcortical circuit), disinhibition and OCD (orbitofrontal-subcortical circuit), and apathy (medial frontal-subcortical circuit). Environmental dependency is common to all prefrontal-subcortical syndromes and may reflect disruption of working memory. Depression, mania, and psychosis are mediated by structures involved in prefrontal-subcortical circuits and are circuit-related but not circuit-specific behaviors. The actions of PCP, LSD, serotonergic antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedative-hypnotics, antipsychotic agents, and ethanol may all be partially or primarily mediated through transmitter systems and receptor effects expressed through frontal-subcortical circuits.