What is the Difference Between Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex

The key difference between amygdala and prefrontal cortex is that the amygdala is located in the temporal lobe of the brain’s cerebrum in complex vertebrates and detects stress in the environment, while the prefrontal cortex is located in the frontal lobe of the mammalian brain and regulates reactions to stress in the environment.

Amygdala and prefrontal cortex are parts of the stress response system. When the brain detects stress in the environment, it sends the message to the hypothalamus. Amygdala is the part of the brain that sends the stress message to the hypothalamus. It has a special connection with another brain region called the prefrontal cortex, which controls reactions to stress. Later, the hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is a messenger that sets other organs in the body into action.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Amygdala 
3. What is Prefrontal Cortex
4. Similarities – Amygdala vs Prefrontal Cortex
5. Amygdala vs Prefrontal Cortex in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Amygdala vs Prefrontal Cortex

What is Amygdala?

Amygdala is one of the two almond-shaped clusters of nuclei located in the temporal lobe of the cerebrum in complex vertebrates. This region of the brain detects stress in the environment. It also performs a major role in processing memory, decision making, and emotional responses.  The emotional responses include fear, anxiety, and aggression. It is part of the limbic system. The term amygdala was coined by the German physiologist Karl Friedrich Burdach in 1822.

Amygdala is one of the best-studied regions of the brain with regard to differences between the sexes. It was identified that the amygdala is larger in males than females in children aged 7 to 11. Furthermore, it is understood that patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) tend to have higher activation of the amygdala than someone without PTSD. Moreover, individuals with bipolar disorder show greater amygdala activity. It has also been discovered in a recent study that greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala. Therefore, the amygdala plays a role in the political orientation or view of a person as well.

What is Prefrontal Cortex?

The prefrontal cortex is the cerebral cortex located in the front part of the frontal lobe of the brain in mammalians. It regulates reactions to stress in the environment. It contains Brodmann areas such as BA8, BA9, BA10, BA11, BA12, BA13, BA14, BA24, BA25, BA32, BA44, BA45, BA46, and BA47. The basic function of this region is the orchestration of thoughts and actions in accordance with internal goals. This region also has executive functions such as planning, decision-making, short-term memory, personality expression, controlling social behaviour, and certain aspects of speech and language.

The frontal cortex also supports concrete rule learning. It is suggested that practising mindfulness enhances prefrontal cortex activation, which ultimately increases well-being and reduces anxiety. Chronic intake of alcohol leads to oxidative DNA damage and neuronal cell death of the prefrontal cortex.

What are the Similarities Between Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex?

• Amygdala and prefrontal cortex are parts of the stress response system.
• Both are very important for stress management.
• They are parts of the limbic system.
• Dysfunction of both leads to psychiatric diseases.

What is the Difference Between Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex?

Amygdala is one of the two almond-shaped clusters of nuclei located in the temporal lobe of the brain’s cerebrum in complex vertebrates and detects stress in the environment, while the prefrontal cortex is the cerebral cortex located in the frontal lobe of the brain in mammalian that regulates reactions to stress in the environment. So. this is the key difference between amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, the amygdala does not contain Brodmann areas. On the other hand, the prefrontal cortex contains Brodmann areas such as BA8, BA9, BA10, BA11, BA12, BA13, BA14, BA24, BA25, BA32, BA44, BA45, BA46, and BA47.

The below infographic lists the differences between amygdala and prefrontal cortex in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Amygdala vs Prefrontal Cortex

Amygdala and prefrontal cortex are parts of the stress response system. They are also parts of the limbic system of the brain that control behavioural and emotional responses. Amygdala is one of the two almond-shaped clusters of nuclei located in the temporal lobe of the brain’s cerebrum in complex vertebrates. It is responsible for the detection of stress in the environment. The prefrontal cortex is the cerebral cortex located in the frontal lobe of the brain in mammalian. It is responsible for the regulation of reactions to stress in the environment. Thus, in a nutshell, this is the summary of the difference between amygdala and prefrontal cortex.

Reference:

1. “Amygdala.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
2. “Prefrontal Cortex.” GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Amygdala” By Images are generated by Life Science Databases(LSDB). – from Anatomography, website maintained by Life Science Databases(LSDB).You can get this image through URL below. 次のアドレスからこのファイルで使用している画像を取得できますURL. (CC BY-SA 2.1 jp) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Prefrontal1” By Pancrat – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia