ABSTRACT
Although it has been speculated for many years that the prefrontal cortex plays a role in long-term memory for events, or episodic memory, only recently have researchers made a concerted attempt to define this role. Most theories of prefrontal function suggest that this region implements “topdown” or “executive” processes that influence a variety of domains, including memory. For example, Luria (1966) postulated a role for the frontal lobes in the regulation of voluntary attention and the organisation of goal-directed behavior. Building on the work of Luria, Shallice (1982) argued that the frontal lobes are required for the attentional selection of schemes of action in novel situations. A complementary role suggested for the prefrontal cortex is the suppression of irrelevant or interfering stimuli (Brutkowski, 1965; Fuster, 1997; Knight, Staines, Swick, & Chao, 1999; Pribram, Ahumada, Hartog, & Roos, 1964; Shimamura, 1995). Teuber (1964) additionally proposed that the frontal lobes prepare sensory areas for environmental changes that will be induced by motor actions. This concept was later extended to include the generation of anticipatory behavioural sets (Fuster, 1997; Nauta, 1971). Several researchers have also postulated a central role for the prefrontal cortex in active, or working memory (Fuster, 1997; Goldman-Rakic, 1987).
