Chapter 8 The development of the rat prefrontal cortex : Its size and development of connections with thalamus, spinal cord and other cortical areas

doi:10.1016/S0079-6123(08)62680-1

Progress in Brain Research

Volume 85, 1991, Pages 169-183

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This chapter focuses on the development of the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC). It also describes the size and development of connections with the thalamus, spinal cord and, other cortical areas. It also explores whether or not the prefrontal cortex has a later or prolonged development in comparison with other cortical areas. The pre- and postnatal development of the rat cerebral cortex is also reviewed in the chapter. The cortical areas that attain an adult-like myelinization pattern prior to birth all belong to sensoric/motoric areas. The development of the cortical layers, ingrowth of thalamic and dopaminergic fibers, follow a scheme of development that is comparable to that of other cortical areas. Only the volumetric development seems to point to a delayed maturation of the prefrontal areas, especially the orbital PFC. Reciprocal projection from the prefrontal cortex to the mediodorsal thalamus is largely formed during the second week of postnatal life. A way to monitor the development of the PFC is to measure its increase in size during the first postnatal months.

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Chapter 8 The development of the rat prefrontal cortex : Its size and development of connections with thalamus, spinal cord and other cortical areas

Publisher Summary

Dev. Brain Res.

Brain Res. Rev.

Dev. Brain Res.

Dev. Brain Res.

Exp. Neurol.

Exp. Neurol.

Brain Res.

Dev. Brain Res.

Dev. Brain Res.

Brain Res. Rev.

Brain Res.

Brain Res.

Brain Res.

Dev. Brain Res.

Dev. Brain Res.

Brain Res.

Dev. Brain Res.

Dev. Brain Res.

Brain Res.

An autoradiographic examination of corticocortical- and subcortical projections of the mediodorsal projection (prefrontal) cortex in the rat

J. Comp. Neurol.

Transient cells of the developing mammalian telencephalon are peptide-immunoreactive neurons

Nature

Axon strata of the cerebral wall in embryonic mice

Dev. Brain Res.

Transient projections from the fronto-parietal and temporal cortex to areas 17, 18 and 19 in the kitten

Exp. Brain Res.

Comparison of human infants and rhesus monkeys on Piaget's AB task: Evidence for dependence of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Exp. Brain Res.

Postnatal development of the cerebral cortex in the rat

J. Anat.

Developmental (myelogenetic) localisation of the cerebral cortex in the human subject

Lancet

Developmental determinants of cortical plasticity

Acta Neurobiol. Exp.

Prenatal removal of frontal association cortex in the fetal rhesus monkey: Anatomical and functional consequences in postnatal life

Brain Res.

Mechanisms in axonal guidance. The problem of intersecting fiber systems

Postnatal development of the mouse cerebral neocortex. II. Quantitative cytoarchitectonics of visual and auditory areas

J. Hirnforsch.

Growth and reshaping of axons in the establishment of visual callosal connections

Science

General organization of callosal connections in the cerebral cortex

Ontogenetic change in the distibution of callosal projecting neurons in the postcentral gyrus of the fetal rhesus monkey

J. Comp. Neurol.