Anatomic and Behavioral Aspects of Frontal‐Subcortical Circuitsa
Abstract
Frontal-subcortical circuits provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmacology of behavior. The three principal behaviorally relevant circuits originate in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex, respectively. Circuit-specific marker behaviors associated with each circuit are executive dysfunction (dorsolateral prefrontal-subcortical circuit), disinhibition and OCD (orbitofrontal-subcortical circuit), and apathy (medial frontal-subcortical circuit). Environmental dependency is common to all prefrontal-subcortical syndromes and may reflect disruption of working memory. Depression, mania, and psychosis are mediated by structures involved in prefrontal-subcortical circuits and are circuit-related but not circuit-specific behaviors. The actions of PCP, LSD, serotonergic antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedative-hypnotics, antipsychotic agents, and ethanol may all be partially or primarily mediated through transmitter systems and receptor effects expressed through frontal-subcortical circuits.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Deficits in initiation and perseveration are associated with reduced 8- and 12-week treatment response.
“while deficits in initiation and perseveration were associated with reduced 8- and 12-week treatment response (5, 25).”
From Neurocognitive Correlates of Response to Treatment in Late-Life Depression (2008) · cites this paper as [25]
Cites
Parallel organization of functionally segregated circuits linking basal ganglia and cortex
Alexander, G. E., DeLong, M. R., & Strick, P. L. (1986) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev.ne.09.030186.002041 · Cited by 8,527 · see citing works
Functional architecture of basal ganglia circuits: neural substrates of parallel processing
Alexander, G. E., & Crutcher, M. D. (1990) · Trends in Neurosciences · doi:10.1016/0166-2236(90)90107-l · Cited by 4,131 · see citing works
Frontal-subcortical circuits and human behavior
Cummings, J. L. (1993) · Archives of Neurology · doi:10.1001/archneur.1993.00540080076020 · Cited by 2,262 · see citing works
Self-citationNeurotransmitters and neuromodulators in the basal ganglia
Graybiel, A. M. (1990) · Trends in Neurosciences · doi:10.1016/0166-2236(90)90104-i · Cited by 1,576 · see citing works
Reduction of Prefrontal Cortex Glucose Metabolism Common to Three Types of Depression
Baxter, L. R. (1989) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810030049007 · Cited by 1,320 · see citing works
Longitudinal topography and interdigitation of corticostriatal projections in the rhesus monkey
Selemon, L. D., & Goldman-Rakic, P. S. (1985) · Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.05-03-00776.1985 · Cited by 1,074 · see citing works
The primate mediodorsal (MD) nucleus and its projection to the frontal lobe
Goldman‐Rakic, P. S., & Porrino, L. J. (1985) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.902420406 · Cited by 666 · see citing works
Cingulate cortex of the rhesus monkey: I. Cytoarchitecture and thalamic afferents
Vogt, B. A., Pandya, D. N., & Rosene, D. L. (1987) · Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.902620207 · Cited by 604 · see citing works
Progress in Brain Research, vol 16.
Costa, E. (1966) · Archives of Neurology · doi:10.1001/archneur.1966.00470070120024 · Cited by 501 · see citing works
The Human Central Nervous System
Nieuwenhuys, R., Voogd, J., & van Huijzen, C. (1988) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-10343-2 · Cited by 477 · see citing works
Groenewegen, H. J., Berendse, H. W., & Haber, S. N. (1993) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/0306-4522(93)90115-v · Cited by 456 · see citing works
Efferent connections of the ventral pallidum: Evidence of a dual striato pallidofugal pathway
Haber, S. N., Groenewegen, H. J., Grove, E. A., & Nauta, W. J. H. (1985) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.902350304 · Cited by 432 · see citing works
Organization of the nigrothalamocortical system in the rhesus monkey
Ilinsky, I. A., Jouandet, M. L., & Goldman‐Rakic, P. S. (1985) · Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.902360304 · Cited by 406 · see citing works
The amygdalostriatal projections in the monkey. An anterograde tracing study
Russchen, F. T., Bakst, I., Amaral, D. G., & Price, J. L. (1985) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/0006-8993(85)90530-x · Cited by 395 · see citing works
Prefrontostriatal connections in relation to cortical architectonic organization in rhesus monkeys
Yeterian, E. H., & Pandya, D. N. (1991) · Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.903120105 · Cited by 351 · see citing works
Huntington's disease : a disorder of families
Folstein, S. E. (1989) · Johns Hopkins University Press eBooks · Cited by 315 · see citing works
Organization of striatopallidal, striatonigral, and nigrostriatal projections in the macaque
Hedreen, J. C., & Delong, M. R. (1991) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.903040406 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
Parent, A., Mackey, A., & Bellefeuille, L. D. (1983) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/0306-4522(83)90104-5 · Cited by 233 · see citing works
Striatal connections of the parietal association cortices in rhesus monkeys
Yeterian, E. H., & Pandya, D. Ν. (1993) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.903320204 · Cited by 202 · see citing works
The organization of the descending ventral pallidal projections in the monkey
Haber, S., Lynd-Balta, E., & Mitchell, S. (1993) · The Journal of comparative neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.903290108 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Groenewegen, H. J., Becker, N. E. H. M., & Lohman, A. H. M. (1980) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/0306-4522(80)90038-x · Cited by 179 · see citing works
Topographical projections of the cerebral cortex to the subthalamic nucleus
Afsharpour, S. (1985) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.902360103 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Compartmental organization of the thalamostriatal connection in the cat
Ragsdale, C. W., & Graybiel, A. M. (1991) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.903110110 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Brain Imaging Applications in Psychiatry
Goyer, P. F. (1990) · Journal of Neuropsychiatry · doi:10.1176/jnp.2.4.460 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Executive Function and the Frontal Lobes: A Meta-Analytic Review
Alvarez, J. A., & Emory, E. (2006) · Neuropsychology Review · doi:10.1007/s11065-006-9002-x · Cited by 1,981 · see citing works
The primate basal ganglia: Parallel and integrative networks
Haber, S. N. (2003) · Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy · doi:10.1016/j.jchemneu.2003.10.003 · Cited by 1,479 · see citing works
Frontal–subcortical neuronal circuits and clinical neuropsychiatry
Tekin, S., & Cummings, J. L. (2002) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/s0022-3999(02)00428-2 · Cited by 1,240 · see citing works
Self-citationWhite matter lesions impair frontal lobe function regardless of their location
Tullberg, M., Fletcher, E., DeCarli, C., Mungas, D., Reed, B. R., Harvey, D. J., Weiner, M. W., Chui, H. C., & Jagust, W. J. (2004) · Neurology · doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000130530.55104.b5 · Cited by 530 · see citing works
Goudriaan, A. E., Oosterlaan, J., De Beurs, E., & Van Den Brink, W. (2006) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01380.x · Cited by 467 · see citing works
Rajkowska, G., O'Dwyer, G., Teleki, Z., Stockmeier, C. A., & Miguel-Hidalgo, J. J. (2007) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301234 · Cited by 430 · see citing works
Cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral microbleeds on T2*-weighted gradient-echo MRI
Werring, D. J. (2004) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awh253 · Cited by 421 · see citing works
Microstructure Abnormalities in Adolescents with Internet Addiction Disorder
Yuan, K., Qin, W., Wang, G., Zeng, F., Zhao, L., Yang, X., Liu, P., Liu, J., Sun, J., von Deneen, K. M., et al. (2011) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020708 · Cited by 367 · see citing works
Neurocognitive impairment associated with alcohol use disorders: Implications for treatment.
Bates, M. E., Bowden, S. C., & Barry, D. (2002) · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1037/1064-1297.10.3.193 · Cited by 406 · see citing works
The Concept of the Ventral Striatum in Nonhuman Primates
HABER, S. N., & McFARLAND, N. R. (1999) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1999.tb09259.x · Cited by 253 · see citing works
Inhibitory control in children with autism Spectrum disorder
Christ, S. E., Holt, D. D., White, D. A., & Green, L. (2007) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0259-y · Cited by 245 · see citing works
Neuropsychological and neuroimaging evidence for the involvement of the frontal lobes in depression.
Goodwin, G. M. (1997) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/026988119701100204 · Cited by 199 · see citing works
Dunn, R. T., Kimbrell, T. A., Ketter, T. A., Frye, M. A., Willis, M. W., Luckenbaugh, D. A., & Post, R. M. (2002) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(01)01244-6 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Klein-Flügge, M. C., Kennerley, S. W., Saraiva, A. C., Penny, W. D., & Bestmann, S. (2015) · PLoS Computational Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004116 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
Lavretsky, H., Ballmaier, M., Pham, D., Toga, A., & Kumar, A. (2007) · The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/jgp.0b013e3180325a16 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Obsessive–Compulsive Behaviour: A Disorder of Decision-Making
Sachdev, P. S., & Malhi, G. S. (2005) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1080/j.1440-1614.2005.01680.x · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Prefrontal Neuropsychological Predictors of Treatment Remission in Late-Life Depression
Potter, G. G., Kittinger, J. D., Ryan Wagner, H., Steffens, D. C., & Ranga Rama Krishnan, K. (2004) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1300551 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Neurocognitive Correlates of Response to Treatment in Late-Life Depression
Story, T. J., Potter, G. G., Attix, D. K., Welsh-Bohmer, K. A., & Steffens, D. C. (2008) · The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/jgp.0b013e31817e739a · Cited by 117 · see citing works
The neurobiological link between OCD and ADHD
Brem, S., Grünblatt, E., Drechsler, R., Riederer, P., & Walitza, S. (2014) · ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders · doi:10.1007/s12402-014-0146-x · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Progress in understanding mood disorders: optogenetic dissection of neural circuits
Lammel, S., Tye, K. M., & Warden, M. R. (2014) · Genes, Brain and Behavior · doi:10.1111/gbb.12049 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Duncan, N. W., Wiebking, C., Tiret, B., Marjańska, M., Hayes, D. J., Lyttleton, O., Doyon, J., & Northoff, G. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060312 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Duering, M., Gonik, M., Malik, R., Zieren, N., Reyes, S., Jouvent, E., Hervé, D., Gschwendtner, A., Opherk, C., Chabriat, H., et al. (2013) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.10.084 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Adjunctive glycine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults
Greenberg, W. M., Benedict, M. M., Doerfer, J., Perrin, M., Panek, L., Cleveland, W. L., & Javitt, D. C. (2009) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.10.007 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Selective attention and active engagement in young children
Akshoomoff, N. (2002) · Developmental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1207/s15326942dn2203_4 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Connectivity-based parcellation of the anterior limb of the internal capsule
Nanda, P., Banks, G. P., Pathak, Y. J., & Sheth, S. A. (2017) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.23815 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Goodkind, M. S., Gallagher-Thompson, D., Thompson, L. W., Kesler, S. R., Anker, L., Flournoy, J., Berman, M. P., Holland, J. M., & O'Hara, R. M. (2016) · International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/gps.4325 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Pharmacotherapy for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia
Le, C., & Finger, E. (2021) · CNS Drugs · doi:10.1007/s40263-021-00854-5 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
The role of executive functions in psychiatric disorders
Testa, R., & Pantelis, C. (2009) · The Neuropsychology of Mental Illness · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511642197.012 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
- Authors
- CUMMINGS, J. L.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- CUMMINGS, JEFFREY L.
- ORCID
- CUMMINGS, JEFFREY L.
- Venue
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1995-12
- Volume
- 769
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-14
- ISSN
- 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
- 1749-6632
- OpenAlex
- W2011582442
- Cited by
- 362
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 2.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (AG 10123, P30AG010123)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Keywords
- frontal-subcortical circuits, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, executive dysfunction, disinhibition, obsessive-compulsive disorder, apathy, working memory, depression, mania, psychosis, psychopharmacology, PCP, LSD, serotonergic antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedative-hypnotic drugs, antipsychotic drugs, ethanol, neurotransmitter systems
- MeSH terms
- Afferent Pathways, Behavior, Efferent Pathways, Electrophysiology, Frontal Lobe, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Humans, Glutamic Acid
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review