CYBCYL Chapter 7- Looking into Inattention and Impulsivity: The Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is arguably what makes us human. It is considered that most evolved part of the brain and is responsible for a variety of functions including: judgment, attention span, critical thinking, problem solving, organizations, empathy, learning (from experience), simulation, and many others. This part of your brain is important in helping you learn from your mistakes.

Your prefrontal cortex is divided into 3 sections: the dorsolateral section (outer surface), the inferior orbital section (front underside), and the cingulate gyrus (through middle of frontal lobes). These parts of the brain are not important for now. Problems with the PFC as a whole include: short attention span, distractibility, chronic lateness, poor time management, disorganization, procrastination, poor judgment, inability to express emotions, short-term memory problems, social and test anxiety; and many others.

Amen stresses ADD/ADHD (attention deficit disorder) in this chapter, stating how “it occurs as a result of neurological dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex.” He has been very interested with it, ever since he found out that 2 of his 3 children unfortunately have this disorder. The rest of this chapter delves into ADD and how it relates to problems with the prefrontal cortex. Standard symptoms include: short attention span, distractibility, impulsivity, conflict seeking, disorganization, starting many projects but finishing few, and moodiness/negative thinking. Of course, just having these symptoms does not mean you automatically have ADD. However, you can talk to your doctor if you feel like any of these concern you.

Since I know many people who can relate to the problems that this chapter describes, I am eager to see what “remedies” Amen has in store. It seems, from this chapter, that many of the problems with the prefrontal cortex are involved with higher-level thinking and judgment. This is because as mentioned before, the prefrontal cortex is a relatively “newer” part of the brain. There is also an interesting study I read about that involves the delaying of gratification using marshmallows. That test mainly involves the prefrontal cortex, and test subjects (children) were supposed to resist the temptation of a second marshmallow after eating one. Those who delayed were likelier to be more motivated and successful in the future.

These introductory chapters are meant to introduce the reader to a part of the brain, what it is responsible for, and the problems associated with that part. This chapter pertains to me as well as many others I know, and I look forward to reading about how to go about fixing these problems. I recommend other readers to follow the helpful checklist that Amen provides in this chapter to find out if you have certain problems in this part of the brain.