The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) is a key brain area that plays a broad role in human cognition and behavior. This region is involved in complex functions that influence how individuals interact with the world and process their internal states. Its widespread connections highlight its importance in orchestrating thought and action. Understanding the dmPFC provides insight into the neural basis of human experiences.
Where is the Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex?
The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex is in the frontal lobe, towards the front and upper-middle part of the cerebrum. It is part of the larger prefrontal cortex, located behind the forehead.
The dmPFC includes Brodmann areas BA8, BA9, BA10, BA24, and BA32, with some researchers focusing on BA8 and BA9. Sub-components include the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, prelimbic cortex, and infralimbic cortex. This region connects with other brain areas, such as the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia.
How it Helps Us Understand Others and Ourselves
The dmPFC plays a role in social cognition, enabling individuals to understand others’ thoughts, intentions, and feelings, known as theory of mind. This includes processing social impressions and making morality judgments. The dmPFC is active when people interpret another person’s perspective.
The dmPFC is also involved in empathy, the ability to share and respond to others’ experiences. Increased dmPFC activity correlates with cognitive empathy. This region contributes to self-referential processing, including forming a sense of self and self-reflection. It helps construct mental models of oneself and others, which supports social behavior and self-awareness.
This region also contributes to autobiographical memory retrieval, recalling personal past experiences. The dmPFC’s involvement in self and other-related processing suggests its role in integrating external information into one’s sense of self.
Its Role in Emotional Processing
The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex contributes to emotion regulation and processing. It helps interpret emotional cues and modulate emotional responses. This region is involved in both voluntary and involuntary emotional regulation.
The dmPFC integrates cognitive and emotional information to guide behavior and responses to emotional stimuli. It also contributes to emotional learning, helping the brain anticipate unpleasant experiences by linking sensory stimuli with aversive events.
This region interacts with other brain areas, such as the amygdala, involved in emotional reactivity. The dmPFC can regulate amygdala activity, diminishing fear and other emotional responses. This control mechanism allows for cognitive reappraisal of emotional situations, re-interpreting events to change their impact.
When the dmPFC is Implicated in Conditions
Alterations in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex are observed in several neurological and psychiatric conditions. Dysfunction in this region links to challenges in social interaction and emotional regulation. Reduced dmPFC activity has been associated with depressive symptoms, including anhedonia and social withdrawal.
Hyperactivity in the dmPFC has been connected to anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety disorder. In postpartum depression, studies show diminished dmPFC activity and reduced connectivity between the dmPFC and the amygdala when processing negative emotional faces. This suggests a disengagement of a neural circuit supporting social and empathic processes for emotional regulation.