Glossary
Posterior cingulate cortex
What is the posterior cingulate cortex?
The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) is a brain region involved in internally-directed thought, autobiographical memory, and the evaluation of personal relevance. It is a core hub of the default mode network.
How it works
The PCC is highly connected and often shows reduced activity during demanding tasks. It is involved in autobiographical memory and future-oriented thought, but proposed roles also include attention and arousal. Its subdivisions and interactions with other networks matter.
Applied example
Remembering a song from an important event is an everyday example of autobiographical recall. Researchers can study PCC activity during such recall and compare it with another task. That can show an association between PCC activity and recall.
Posterior cingulate cortex and Alzheimer’s disease
Leech and Sharp’s review reports amyloid deposition and reduced metabolism in the PCC early in Alzheimer’s disease. This makes the region relevant to disease research, but a finding in one region does not by itself explain a person’s memory or self-awareness symptoms.
Why it matters
The PCC is important for studying internally directed cognition and network coordination. There is no single agreed account of all its functions.
Source: Leech and Sharp (2014) review competing accounts of PCC function.