Functional organization and visual representations of human ventral lateral prefrontal cortex

Annie W.-Y Chan

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00371

Abstract

Recent neuroimaging studies in both human and non-human primates have identified face selective activation in the ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) even in the absence of working memory (WM) demands. Further, research has suggested that this face-selective response is largely driven by the presence of the eyes. However, the nature and origin of visual category responses in the VLPFC remain unclear. In a broader sense, how do these findings relate to our current understandings of lateral prefrontal cortex? What do these findings tell us about the underlying function and organization principles of the VLPFC? What is the future direction for investigating visual representations in this cortex? This review focuses on the function, topography, and circuitry of the VLPFC to enhance our understanding of the evolution and development of this cortex.

Highlights

INTRODUCTIONEyes, are some of the most salient visual and biological stimuli in the environment
Faces, and eyes, are some of the most salient visual and biological stimuli in the environment
The strong activation in the right IFJ for eyes in particular (Chan and Downing, 2011) is probably one of the special cases; the activation is largely driven by both category and foveal biases in ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), which is inherited from the strong connectivity to other regions in the extended face network (Haxby et al, 2000a; Ishai et al, 2005; Avidan and Behrmann, 2009)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Eyes, are some of the most salient visual and biological stimuli in the environment. Representation of such stimuli in the lateral frontal cortex has received relatively less attention despite evidence highlighting face-selective responses in the ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) in both human and non-human primates even in the absence of working memory (WM) demands (Wilson and Goldman-Rakic, 1994; O’Scalaidhe et al, 1997; Scalaidhe et al, 1999; Tsao et al, 2008a,b; Rajimehr et al, 2009; Chan and Downing, 2011). Much research has suggested that lateral prefrontal cortex is a site of convergence of information (Macko et al, 1982; GoldmanRakic, 1987, 1996a,b; Wilson et al, 1993; Rao, 1997; Rainer et al, 1998; Romanski, 2004) from the dorsal (or “where”) and ventral (or “what”) pathways (Ungerleider and Mishkin, 1982; Miler and Goodale, 1995; Kravitz et al, 2011, 2013)

Ventral lateral prefrontal cortex

VISUAL FACE REPRESENTATION IN VENTRAL LATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX

Findings

CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS