prefrontal
1 of 2adjective
pre·fron·tal (ˌ)prē-ˈfrən-tᵊl 
: anterior to or involving the anterior part of a frontal structure
a prefrontal bone
prefrontal
2 of 2noun
: a prefrontal part (such as a bone)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 These heavy multitaskers showed higher prefrontal-cortex activity than mono-taskers. Julie Jargon, WSJ, 30 Apr. 2022 When Bruce was around 5, she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, subjected to a prefrontal lobotomy and confined to mental institutions. James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 5 Jan. 2022 For the recent study, researchers noticed smaller prefrontal cortexes and amygdala in adolescents who had repeatedly experienced harsh parenting practices in childhood. Kiersten Willis, ajc, 23 Mar. 2021 But if the stressor is an invisible virus, losing your prefrontal function is extraordinarily unhelpful and more dangerous. Susan Dunne, courant.com, 10 Aug. 2020 Understanding how fish behave on high-pressure days versus prefrontal days with dropping barometric pressure is key. Kristtine Fischer, Outdoor Life, 6 May 2020 President Kennedy's sister, Rosemary Kennedy, had part of her brain removed in 1941 in a relatively new procedure known as a prefrontal lobotomy. Faith Karimi, CNN, 2 Aug. 2019 Freeman traveled to mental institutions around the U.S. in the ’50s and ’60s championing the dangerous brain surgery and continuing long after prefrontal lobotomies were widely discredited. David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 July 2019 Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2019 During the adolescent years the prefrontal cortex, the portion of your brain that sits just behind your forehead, is still forming. Molly Lotz, The Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2017 The combination of social media pressure and an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that helps us rationalize decisions, control impulsivity and make judgments, can contribute to offensive online posts. Ana Homayoun, New York Times, 7 June 2017 And when people refused to profit from harming others, the prefrontal cortex increased its communication with the striatum. Molly Crockett, Scientific American Blog Network, 15 May 2017 The prefrontal cortex trims away neural connections that are not needed and begins the process of myelination, or wrapping nerve cells in myelin. Molly Lotz, The Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2017 See More
Adjective
As the center of learning and cognition, the prefrontal lobe assists in storing long-term memories. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 These heavy multitaskers showed higher prefrontal-cortex activity than mono-taskers. Julie Jargon, WSJ, 30 Apr. 2022 When Bruce was around 5, she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, subjected to a prefrontal lobotomy and confined to mental institutions. James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 5 Jan. 2022 For the recent study, researchers noticed smaller prefrontal cortexes and amygdala in adolescents who had repeatedly experienced harsh parenting practices in childhood. Kiersten Willis, ajc, 23 Mar. 2021 But if the stressor is an invisible virus, losing your prefrontal function is extraordinarily unhelpful and more dangerous. Susan Dunne, courant.com, 10 Aug. 2020 Understanding how fish behave on high-pressure days versus prefrontal days with dropping barometric pressure is key. Kristtine Fischer, Outdoor Life, 6 May 2020 President Kennedy's sister, Rosemary Kennedy, had part of her brain removed in 1941 in a relatively new procedure known as a prefrontal lobotomy. Faith Karimi, CNN, 2 Aug. 2019 Freeman traveled to mental institutions around the U.S. in the ’50s and ’60s championing the dangerous brain surgery and continuing long after prefrontal lobotomies were widely discredited. David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 July 2019 Noun
Dehaene and Changeux postulated that the workspace is instantiated by a network of pyramidal (excitatory) neurons linked to far-flung cortical regions, in particular the prefrontal, parietotemporal and midline (cingulate) associative areas. Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2019 During the adolescent years the prefrontal cortex, the portion of your brain that sits just behind your forehead, is still forming. Molly Lotz, The Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2017 The combination of social media pressure and an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that helps us rationalize decisions, control impulsivity and make judgments, can contribute to offensive online posts. Ana Homayoun, New York Times, 7 June 2017 And when people refused to profit from harming others, the prefrontal cortex increased its communication with the striatum. Molly Crockett, Scientific American Blog Network, 15 May 2017 The prefrontal cortex trims away neural connections that are not needed and begins the process of myelination, or wrapping nerve cells in myelin. Molly Lotz, The Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2017 See More Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
1854, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1854, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing prefrontal
Medical Definition
prefrontal
adjective
pre·fron·tal ˌprē-ˈfrənt-ᵊl
1
: situated or occurring anterior to a frontal structure
a prefrontal bone
2
: of, relating to, or constituting the prefrontal lobe or prefrontal cortex of the brain