Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 November 2025
To date, there is no universally accepted anatomical structural map of the human prefrontal cortex. Ongoing research attempts to uncover the complexities of how networks within the prefrontal cortex, and connecting the prefrontal cortex to other regions across the brain, are structured in detail. Tract tracing studies in rats have revealed that on a broad scale, prefrontal cortex connectivity is consistent with what would be expected based on other cortical regions; that it is comprised of topographically ordered reciprocal connections. However, evidence shows that when visualised on a finer scale, there is more complexity to this structure, that connections appear to move in opposing directions and follow a gradient from anterior to posterior in terms of reciprocity. Further, physiological evidence from humans indicates this gradient of connectivity is replicated on a functional level.
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