The prefrontal cortex (PFC) orchestrates higher brain function and becomes disrupted in many mental health disorders. The rodent medial PFC (mPFC) possesses an enormous variety of projection neurons and interneurons. These cells are engaged by long-range inputs from other brain regions involved in cognition, motivation, and emotion. They also communicate in the local network via specific connections between excitatory and inhibitory cells. In this review, we describe the cellular diversity of the rodent mPFC, the impact of long-range afferents, and the specificity of local microcircuits. We highlight similarities with and differences between other cortical areas, illustrating how the circuit organization of the mPFC may give rise to its unique functional roles.

前额叶皮层 (PFC) 协调更高的大脑功能，并在许多精神健康疾病中受到干扰。啮齿动物内侧 PFC (mPFC) 拥有种类繁多的投射神经元和中间神经元。这些细胞被来自其他涉及认知、动机和情感的大脑区域的远程输入所吸引。它们还通过兴奋性和抑制性细胞之间的特定连接在本地网络中进行通信。在这篇综述中，我们描述了啮齿动物 mPFC 的细胞多样性、远程传入神经的影响以及局部微电路的特异性。我们强调了与其他皮层区域之间的相似之处和不同之处，说明 mPFC 的电路组织如何产生其独特的功能作用。