Neuroanatomy

prefrontal cortex

The prefrontal cortex is the front part of the frontal lobe, the cortex closest to the forehead. It does not move your muscles or read your senses directly; instead it sits on top of those systems and helps steer them toward goals.

It is most associated with what psychologists call executive function: planning ahead, holding information in mind for a moment, switching between tasks, weighing choices, and resisting tempting but unhelpful actions. Think of it less as a single command center and more as a conductor that keeps many other brain regions playing in time.

It is one of the last brain areas to fully mature, with development continuing into a person's mid-twenties, which is one reason careful long-term planning and impulse control keep improving well past the teenage years.

Executive function means the brain's self-management skills, like planning, focusing, and self-control, not a single ability.

Also called
PFC前额皮质前額皮質