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Levy R. The prefrontal cortex: from monkey to man. Brain 2024; 147:794-815. [PMID: 37972282 PMCID: PMC10907097 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex is so important to human beings that, if deprived of it, our behaviour is reduced to action-reactions and automatisms, with no ability to make deliberate decisions. Why does the prefrontal cortex hold such importance in humans? In answer, this review draws on the proximity between humans and other primates, which enables us, through comparative anatomical-functional analysis, to understand the cognitive functions we have in common and specify those that distinguish humans from their closest cousins. First, a focus on the lateral region of the prefrontal cortex illustrates the existence of a continuum between rhesus monkeys (the most studied primates in neuroscience) and humans for most of the major cognitive functions in which this region of the brain plays a central role. This continuum involves the presence of elementary mental operations in the rhesus monkey (e.g. working memory or response inhibition) that are constitutive of 'macro-functions' such as planning, problem-solving and even language production. Second, the human prefrontal cortex has developed dramatically compared to that of other primates. This increase seems to concern the most anterior part (the frontopolar cortex). In humans, the development of the most anterior prefrontal cortex is associated with three major and interrelated cognitive changes: (i) a greater working memory capacity, allowing for greater integration of past experiences and prospective futures; (ii) a greater capacity to link discontinuous or distant data, whether temporal or semantic; and (iii) a greater capacity for abstraction, allowing humans to classify knowledge in different ways, to engage in analogical reasoning or to acquire abstract values that give rise to our beliefs and morals. Together, these new skills enable us, among other things, to develop highly sophisticated social interactions based on language, enabling us to conceive beliefs and moral judgements and to conceptualize, create and extend our vision of our environment beyond what we can physically grasp. Finally, a model of the transition of prefrontal functions between humans and non-human primates concludes this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Levy
- AP–HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Neurology, Sorbonne Université, Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease, 75013 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1127, CNRS 7225, Paris Brain Institute- ICM, 75013 Paris, France
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González-Acosta CA, Ortiz-Muñoz D, Becerra-Hernández LV, Casanova MF, Buriticá E. Von Economo neurons: Cellular specialization of human limbic cortices? J Anat 2022; 241:20-32. [PMID: 35178703 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Von Economo neurons (VENs) have been mentioned in the medical literature since the second half of the 19th century; however, it was not until the second decade of the 20th century that their cytomorphology was described in detail. To date, VENs have been found in limbic sectors of the frontal, temporal and insular lobes. In humans, their density seems to decrease in the caudo-rostral and ventro-dorsal direction; that is, from the anterior regions of the cingulate and insular cortices towards the frontal pole and the superior frontal gyrus. Several studies have provided similar descriptions of the shape of the VEN soma, but the size of the soma varies from one cortical region to another. There is consensus among different authors about the selective vulnerability of VENs in certain pathologies, in which a deterioration of the capacities involved in social behaviour is observed. In this review, we propose that the restriction of VENs towards the sectors linked to limbic information processing in Homo sapiens gives them a possible functional role in relation to the structures in which they are located. However, given the divergence in characteristics such as location, density, size and biochemical profile among VENs of different cortical sectors, the activities in which they participate could allow them to partake in a wide spectrum of neurological functions, including autonomic responses and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniela Ortiz-Muñoz
- Centro de Estudios Cerebrales, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | | | - Manuel F Casanova
- Center for Childhood Neurotherapeutics, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, South Carolina, USA
| | - Efraín Buriticá
- Centro de Estudios Cerebrales, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
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Ardesch DJ, Scholtens LH, de Lange SC, Roumazeilles L, Khrapitchev AA, Preuss TM, Rilling JK, Mars RB, van den Heuvel MP. Scaling Principles of White Matter Connectivity in the Human and Nonhuman Primate Brain. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2831-2842. [PMID: 34849623 PMCID: PMC9247419 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Brains come in many shapes and sizes. Nature has endowed big-brained primate species like humans with a proportionally large cerebral cortex. Comparative studies have suggested, however, that the total volume allocated to white matter connectivity-the brain's infrastructure for long-range interregional communication-does not keep pace with the cortex. We investigated the consequences of this allometric scaling on brain connectivity and network organization. We collated structural and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data across 14 primate species, describing a comprehensive 350-fold range in brain size across species. We show volumetric scaling relationships that indeed point toward a restriction of macroscale connectivity in bigger brains. We report cortical surface area to outpace white matter volume, with larger brains showing lower levels of overall connectedness particularly through sparser long-range connectivity. We show that these constraints on white matter connectivity are associated with longer communication paths, higher local network clustering, and higher levels of asymmetry in connectivity patterns between homologous areas across the left and right hemispheres. Our findings reveal conserved scaling relationships of major brain components and show consequences for macroscale brain circuitry, providing insights into the connectome architecture that could be expected in larger brains such as the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Jan Ardesch
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lianne H Scholtens
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Siemon C de Lange
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lea Roumazeilles
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK
| | - Alexandre A Khrapitchev
- Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Todd M Preuss
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30307, USA
| | - James K Rilling
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Rogier B Mars
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, AJ 6525, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for fMRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Child Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Badihian N. Ideas on a possible neural pathway in depression. Med Hypotheses 2021; 156:110688. [PMID: 34628112 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Depression is the second leading cause of disability in the world. Despite developing some efficacious treatments, many patients do not respond to the treatment well due to the complexity of depression and unknown mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis. It has been reported that patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) experience autonomic dysfunctions in different aspects. Evidence suggests that modulation of the autonomic nervous system may improve depression. Von Economo neurons (VENs) are shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of some of the neurological and psychological diseases. VENs are also important for the "ego" formation, sense of empathy, intuition, and cognition. These neurons express a high level of adrenoreceptor alpha 1a, which confirms their role in the autonomic function. Here, based on some evidence, I propose the hypothesis that these neurons may play a role in depression, possibly through being involved in the autonomic function. More focused studies on VENs and their possible role in depression is suggested in future. This pathway may open a new window in the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negin Badihian
- Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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Banovac I, Sedmak D, Judaš M, Petanjek Z. Von Economo Neurons - Primate-Specific or Commonplace in the Mammalian Brain? Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:714611. [PMID: 34539353 PMCID: PMC8440978 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.714611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The pioneering work by von Economo in 1925 on the cytoarchitectonics of the cerebral cortex revealed a specialized and unique cell type in the adult human fronto-insular (FI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In modern studies, these neurons are termed von Economo neurons (VENs). In his work, von Economo described them as stick, rod or corkscrew cells because of their extremely elongated and relatively thin cell body clearly distinguishable from common oval or spindle-shaped infragranular principal neurons. Before von Economo, in 1899 Cajal depicted the unique somato-dendritic morphology of such cells with extremely elongated soma in the FI. However, although VENs are increasingly investigated, Cajal’s observation is still mainly being neglected. On Golgi staining in humans, VENs have a thick and long basal trunk with horizontally oriented terminal branching (basilar skirt) from where the axon arises. They are clearly distinguishable from a spectrum of modified pyramidal neurons found in infragranular layers, including oval or spindle-shaped principal neurons. Spindle-shaped cells with highly elongated cell body were also observed in the ACC of great apes, but despite similarities in soma shape, their dendritic and axonal morphology has still not been described in sufficient detail. Studies identifying VENs in non-human species are predominantly done on Nissl or anti-NeuN staining. In most of these studies, the dendritic and axonal morphology of the analyzed cells was not demonstrated and many of the cells found on Nissl or anti-NeuN staining had a cell body shape characteristic for common oval or spindle-shaped cells. Here we present an extensive literature overview on VENs, which demonstrates that human VENs are specialized elongated principal cells with unique somato-dendritic morphology found abundantly in the FI and ACC of the human brain. More research is needed to properly evaluate the presence of such specialized cells in other primates and non-primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Miloš Judaš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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