The anatomical connections of the macaque monkey orbitofrontal cortex. A review

The orbitofrontal cortex (OfC) is a heterogeneous prefrontal sector selecti vely connected with a wide constellation of other prefrontal. limbic, senso ry and promotor areas. Among the limbic cortical connections, the ones with the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex are particularly salient. Senso ry cortices connected with the OfC include areas involved in olfactory, gus tatory, somatosensory, auditory and visual processing. Subcortical structur es with prominent OfC connections include the amygdala. numerous thalamic n uclei. the striatum, hypothalamus. periaqueductal gray matter, and biochemi cally specific cell groups in the basal forebrain and brainstem. Architecto nic and connectional evidence supports parcellation of the OfC. The rostral ly placed isocortical sector is mainly connected with isocortical areas, in cluding sensory areas of the auditory, somatic and visual modalities, where as the caudal non-isocortical sector is principally connected with non-isoc ortical areas, and, in the sensory domain, with olfactory and gustatory are as. The connections of the isocortical and non-isocortical orbital sectors with the amygdala, thalamus, striatum, hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray matter are also specific. The medial sector of the OfC is selectively conn ected with the hippocampus. posterior parahippocampal cortex, posterior cin gulate and retrosplenial areas, and area prostriata, while the lateral orbi tofrontal sector is the most heavily connected with sensory areas of the gu statory, somatic and visual modalities, with premotor regions, and with the amygdala.