Executive Function, Memory & Risk-Taking — Neuroscience for Dummies Chapter 14 Summary
Executive Function, Memory & Risk-Taking — Neuroscience for Dummies Chapter 14 Summary Welcome back to Last Minute Lecture ! In this podcast-style summary of Chapter 14 from Neuroscience for Dummies (3rd Edition) , we focus on the brain’s most complex region—the prefrontal cortex —and its essential role in decision-making, memory, and behavior regulation. This chapter explores how executive functions develop, how we regulate impulses, and why some people are more prone to risky behavior or perseveration. The Prefrontal Cortex & Executive Control The prefrontal cortex is the brain’s command center for executive functions—goal-setting, planning, and behavioral inhibition. Its evolution in primates and humans has allowed for more complex, flexible thinking and long-term decision-making. This area is central to regulating our responses, planning future actions, and interpreting social consequences. Within the prefrontal cortex, working memory is supported by fast brai...