Section of Developmental Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2011 Jul;1(3):233-45. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2011.01.002.
Over the last several years a number of studies in both humans and animals have suggested that the orbitofrontal and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices play an important role in generating flexible behavior. We suggest that input from these brain regions contribute to three functions involved in generating flexible behavior within social contexts: valuation, inhibition, and rule use. Recent studies have also demonstrated that the prefrontal cortex undergoes a prolonged course of maturation that extends well after puberty. Here, we review evidence that the prolonged development of these prefrontal regions parallels a slowly emerging ability for flexible social behavior. We also speculate on the possibility that sensitive periods for organizing social behavior may be embedded within this developmental time-fame. Finally, we discuss the role of prefrontal cortex in adolescent mood and anxiety disorders, particularly as orbitofrontal and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices are engaged in a social context.
在过去的几年中，许多在人类和动物身上进行的研究表明，眶额皮质和腹外侧前额皮质在产生灵活行为方面发挥着重要作用。我们认为，这些大脑区域的输入有助于产生社会背景下灵活行为的三个功能：估值、抑制和规则使用。最近的研究还表明，前额叶皮层经历了一个漫长的成熟过程，这个过程一直持续到青春期之后。在这里，我们回顾了证据，证明这些前额区域的缓慢发展与灵活的社会行为能力的缓慢出现是平行的。我们还推测，组织社会行为的敏感时期可能嵌入在这个发展时间框架内。最后，我们讨论了前额叶皮层在青少年情绪和焦虑障碍中的作用，特别是当眶额皮质和腹外侧前额皮质在社会环境中被激活时。
