Orbitofrontal cortex: parts, functions and characteristics.

This part of the brain is involved in the planning and regulation of emotions.

The human being has a large number of complex cognitive abilities that allow him to adjust to a large extent to the environment in which he is situated and the time in which he lives. They are capable of planning, preparing for action, establishing strategies or inhibiting their own behavior. All this is very useful both in nature and in society, as for example in the exchange or communication between different people and in different contexts.

It is not the same for example to interact with another person in the context of a conflict or a misfortune than in a party at a discotheque, to give an example, and being able to distinguish and manage behavior to suit each situation requires complex processes. These processes do not appear out of nowhere, but are due to the action of different brain nuclei. One of the most important in this sense and which is also key to explain much of our personality is the orbitofrontal cortex, which is the subject of this article. the orbitofrontal cortex, which is the subject of this article..

Orbitofrontal cortex: description and location

The orbitofrontal cortex is a region of the cerebral cortex which is part of the prefrontal cortex. is part of the prefrontal cortex and is of great importance in the regulation of social behavior, decision making and behavioral inhibition. This cortex is located in the frontal lobe, being located in both cerebral hemispheres and situated approximately at the level of the eye sockets (which is also the reason for its name).

The importance of this area is great, being involved in a great number of functions and even in the establishment of what we call personality. the establishment of what we call personality.. This is due not only to its own performance but also to the fact that we are dealing with a part of the brain that is highly connected to a large number of brain regions. Among its multiple connections are those that go to the limbic system (especially the amygdala), the insula, the motor cortex, the thalamus, the hypothalamus or the hippocampus, the entorhinal cortex and most of the sensory areas. It is also one of the areas of the brain that takes the longest time to develop, its formation not being completed until adulthood.

This brain region is also of some historical importance because it is the area that was injured in the first known and documented case of a subject with brain lesions in the frontal part of the brain who lived to tell the tale: Phineas Gage. This young man, who had an iron an iron bar pierced his orbitofrontal while he was handling explosives, managed to survive the injury.He managed to survive the injury, but after it he would begin to manifest severe alterations that would complicate his existence (hostility and aggressiveness, personality changes, inability to plan...) until he lost everything. The study of this case would allow us to begin to visualize and investigate the importance and functions of the prefrontal region of this brain region.

Main functions of this brain region

We have previously commented that the orbitofrontal cortex is of great importance for the human being, being in fact fundamental for adaptation of the human being to his natural and social environment, as well as to carry out mental actions. as well as for carrying out complex mental actions and future plans. Its brain connections are many, being involved in a large number of processes. Some of the most known and explored are the following.

1. Regulation of social behavior

One of the best known functions of the orbitofrontal cortex and the one we mentioned in the introduction is to contribute to the regulation of social behavior. That is, thanks to the orbitofrontal cortex we are able to adjust our actions and words to the situations, people and types of interaction we are currently having. Also It also allows us to assess social norms..

Behavioral inhibition

Another key function in which the orbitofrontal cortex is fundamental is behavioral inhibition. That is, thanks to this brain region (among others) we are able to not do the first thing that comes to our mind, or to change our behavior as we are doing it to suit the circumstances.

3. Personality involvement

It cannot be said that personality lies solely in the prefrontal cortex, but the fact is that it has been observed that alterations in this brain region can have serious repercussions on the way we think and act. can have serious repercussions in the way of being of a person.It has been observed that the alteration of this brain region can have serious repercussions on a person's way of being, and can totally change the way he or she behaves and reacts to stimuli.

4. Emotional and aggression management

Something partly linked to the previous aspects and largely derived from its connections with the limbic system is the involvement of the orbitofrontal cortex with emotional management, especially with regard to the control of defensive and aggressive responses. It is therefore an area that allows to show alertness to threatening stimuli.

5. Reward-punishment systems and learning

Studies on the orbitofrontal cortex have shown that this region of the prefrontal cortex, especially its medial areas, is related to the sensitivity and learning of the relationship between behavior and reinforcement. sensitivity and learning of the relationship between behavior and reinforcement.. Its more lateral areas do the same with the behavior-punishment relationship. In addition, it allows the existence of sensitivity to one or the other, something that is linked to our future behavioral choices.

6. Integration of sense-experience information

Although the involvement of the orbitofrontal cortex was already suspected, recent research has shown that this cortex is activated and allows the integration of current sensory information with previously accumulated information from previous moments. with previously accumulated information from previous moments..

7. Decision-making analysis

Directly related to the above, it has been identified that the orbitofrontal cortex has a great involvement in decision making, given the integration of information from the previous point and its analysis. This allows us to anticipate the choice of behavioral response that we are going to carry outAlthough this may vary depending on new experiences.

8. Motivation and planning

Another area in which the orbitofrontal cortex has been found to be involved is the the ability to motivate oneselfespecially when it comes to taking initiative towards behavior or maintaining it. It also influences behavioral planning.

What problems can arise from its lesion?

Considering some of the multiple functions of this brain region and how important they are in our daily life, it is easy to imagine the kind of difficulties that can be caused by its lesion.

It is common that lesions of the orbitofrontal cortex derive in the appearance of aggressive behaviors aggressive behaviors, limitations in the ability to bond with others and to have empathy, social disengagement and disengagement from the social environment.The lesions can lead to social disengagement and disobedience of social norms, apathy, inability to generate, initiate or maintain plans, and a high level of disinhibition, including difficulties in impulse control (including addictions, sexual activity, eating or aggression), which can lead to legal problems. In fact, there is a specific syndrome that refers to the appearance of these symptoms due to brain injury: orbitofrontal syndrome.

The lesions themselves can arise from different types of injuries, such as head trauma, lacerations (such as Phineas Gage), presence of brain tumors or infections or cerebrovascular accidents.

Bibliographic references:

• Bechara, A., Damasio, H, Damasio, A.R. (2000). Emotion, decision-making and the orbitofrontal cortex. Cereb. Cortex, 10: 295-307.
• Kandel, E.R.; Schwartz, J.H.; Jessell, T.M. (2001). Principles of Neuroscience. Madrid: McGraw Hill.
• Nogueira, R., Abolafia, J.M., Drugowitsch, J., Balaguer-Ballester, E., Sánchez-Vives, M.V. & Moreno-Bote, R. (2017). Lateral orbitofrontal cortex anticipates choices and integrates prior with current information. Nature Communications, 8.