The bilateral Right Cerebrum.Frontal Lobe.Middle Frontal Gyrus.Gray Matter.Brodmann area 46 corresponds to a dorsolateral prefrontal cortical region implicated in higher-order executive functions, including working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning, and the regulation of attention and goal-directed behavior. Cytoarchitectonically defined by relatively dense granular layers and distinct pyramidal cell organization, BA46 lies on the middle frontal gyrus of the lateral prefrontal cortex and participates in large-scale networks supporting decision-making, behavioral inhibition, and the integration of sensory and mnemonic information. Neuroimaging and lesion studies link this area to the manipulation of information in short-term memory, complex problem solving, and aspects of social cognition. There is no direct link for this exact composite label; a related structure is the Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
The bilateral right middle frontal gyrus gray matter in Brodmann area 46—part of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—is a key substrate for working memory, cognitive control, and executive function, and genetic associations largely emerge from imaging–genetics and GWAS of cortical morphology and related cognitive traits rather than region-specific candidate-gene studies. Large-scale brain MRI GWAS (e.g., ENIGMA, UK Biobank) have identified common variants in genes involved in neurodevelopment, synaptic function, and neuronal proliferation (such as HMGA2, MIR2113, and loci near MAPT and WNT signaling genes) that modulate cortical thickness, surface area, and volume in lateral prefrontal regions including BA46; polygenic scores for intelligence, educational attainment, and schizophrenia also show robust associations with structure and activation in this area. Disorders with strong genetic components—schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder—frequently exhibit structural or functional abnormalities in the right middle frontal gyrus, and convergent evidence from GWAS implicates genes affecting dopaminergic and glutamatergic signaling, synaptic plasticity (e.g., CACNA1C, GRIN2A), and neurodevelopmental pathways, consistent with altered dorsolateral prefrontal circuitry. Additionally, risk loci for Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia, particularly in or near APOE and MAPT, have been associated with differential atrophy and connectivity in lateral prefrontal regions that encompass BA46, linking genetic variation to vulnerability of this area in neurodegenerative processes.
Overview generated by GPT-4o (2026).
Region ID: 658
Hemisphere: bilateral
Atlas: Talairach labels 1mm
Full Quality Version: Download MP4
Full Quality Version: Download MP4
Wali Sidiqyar*, Gaurav Rudravaram*, Elyssa M. McMaster, Trent M. Schwartz, Adam M. Saunders, Kurt G. Schilling, Bennett A. Landman "Introducing SPINS: A Shared Public Visualization Library of Neuroanatomical Structures." Medical Imaging with Deep Learning- short paper
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