Brain Research Reviews, 8 (1984) 65-98 Elsevier BRR 90012 zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA 65 Functions of the Frontal Cortex of the Rat: A Comparative Review BRYAN KOLB University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge (Canada) (Accepted June 12th, 1984) Key worak: frontal cortex - cortex - neuropsychology - lesion studies - behavior - prefrontal cortex CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 2. Anatomy ................................................................................................................................................. 2.1 Cytoarchitectonics ................................................................................................................................ 2.2 Afferents ............................................................................................................................................ 2.3 Efferents ............................................................................................................................................ 2.4 Relationship with posterior cortex ............................................................................................................ 2.5 Anatomical issues ................................................................................................................................. 3. Ablation of the Frontal Cortex ...................................................................................................................... 4. Symptoms of Frontal-Lobe Lesions in Adults .................................................................................................... 4.1 Motor symptoms ................................................................................................................................. 4.2 Response inhibition ............................................................................................................................. 4.3 Serial ordering ................................................................................................................................... 4.4 Spatial orientation ............................................................................................................................... 4.5 Social and affective behavior .................................................................................................................. 4.6 Behavioral spontaneity ......................................................................................................................... 4.7 Olfaction .......................................................................................................................................... 4.8 Habituation ....................................................................................................................................... 4.9 Associative learning ............................................................................................................................ 4.10 Other symptoms in humans ................................................................................................................... 4.11 Other symptoms in rats and monkeys ....................................................................................................... 5. Effects of Frontal Cortex Damage in Infancy ..................................................................................................... 6. Discussion ................................................................................................................................................ Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................................... References ................................................................................................................................................... 65 66 66 67 68 71 73 73 75 76 78 79 81 83 84 84 84 85 85 86 87 88 90 90 91 91 1. INTRODUCTION It was widely assumed in the 1930s and 40s that the frontal lobes housed the highest human intellectual capacities and that the frontal lobes of humans, and perhaps certain other ‘higher’ non-human primates, were unique. Behavioral research in the following decades did little to dispel this belief as investigations concentrated upon the study of the frontal lobes of humans and old world monkeys such as rhensu rhesus macaques72.273. The heavy reliance upon studies of non-human primates is likely to diminish in the com- Correspondence: B. Kolb, Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alb . . Canada TlK 3M4.