Frontal Sup 2 (Left)

Overview

The left Frontal Sup 2 (Left) region in the AAL2 atlas corresponds to the medial portion of the superior frontal gyrus in the left frontal lobe, extending along the dorsal aspect of the prefrontal cortex anterior to the premotor areas. This region is implicated in higher-order executive functions, including working memory, cognitive control, planning, and aspects of self-referential processing, and it contributes to the regulation of attention and integration of internal goals with motor and behavioral output. Anatomically, it lies superior to the middle frontal gyrus and anterior to the precentral gyrus, forming part of the medial prefrontal network that interacts with both dorsal attentional and default mode systems. There is no direct Wikipedia article for “Frontal Sup 2 (Left)”; a closely related structure is the superior frontal gyrus: Superior Frontal Gyrus.

The left Superior Frontal Gyrus (Frontal Sup 2, AAL2) has been implicated in several genetic imaging and GWAS-based endophenotype studies, primarily through its cortical thickness, surface area, and functional connectivity measures rather than through region-specific gene variants. Large-scale imaging genetics consortia such as ENIGMA and UK Biobank analyses have linked variation in superior frontal cortical morphology to common genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in neurodevelopment and synaptic function (for example, variants near or in genes such as HMGA2, MIR220A, and others that influence global cortical surface area and regional thickness), and these structural measures have in turn been associated with cognitive performance, educational attainment, and general intelligence. Polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and ADHD have shown correlations with volume or thickness changes in the superior frontal cortex, implicating this area in the genetic architecture of severe mental illness and mood disorders. Additionally, GWAS of brain functional networks and resting-state connectivity have found that default-mode and frontoparietal control network connectivity—networks that heavily involve the left superior frontal region—are partially heritable, with loci linked to genes regulating synaptic plasticity, axon guidance, and myelination. While few studies isolate the AAL2-defined “Frontal Sup 2 (Left)” node specifically, convergent genetic evidence supports this region as a heritable structural and functional hub tied to cognition, psychiatric vulnerability, and large-effect polygenic influences on frontal lobe organization.

Overview generated by GPT-4o (2026).

Region ID: 2101
Hemisphere: left
Atlas: AAL2

Frontal Sup 2 (Left) – Black Background (Full Brain)

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Frontal Sup 2 (Left) – White Background (Full Brain)

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Frontal Sup 2 (Left) – Black Background (Hemisphere)

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Frontal Sup 2 (Left) – White Background (Hemisphere)

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Triplanar View – T1 Background

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