What is the DLPFC?
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is part of the prefrontal cortex, in the frontal lobe of the brain. It sits toward the top and side of the forehead area. "Dorsolateral" describes this position: dorsal means toward the top, and lateral means toward the side.
The DLPFC helps you plan, stay focused and work toward goals. It holds information in mind for a short time (working memory). It helps you adapt when things change. It also helps you manage your emotions by thinking them through, which is important in depression.
In anatomy terms, the DLPFC roughly matches Brodmann areas 9 and 46. It is connected to many other brain areas, which lets it combine information from across the brain.
Underactivity in the DLPFC is consistently observed in people with depression. Because the DLPFC helps manage emotions, lower activity here can make negative feelings harder to manage.
How the DLPFC works
The DLPFC works as a central hub. It coordinates thinking and helps steer activity in other brain areas. It works as part of connected circuits across the brain.
When you work toward a goal, brain cells in the DLPFC stay active to keep that goal in mind. This steady activity is the basis of working memory and planning.
The DLPFC also sends signals to other brain areas. It helps you focus on what matters and ignore distractions. It helps guide the movements you choose to make. For depression, the key link is to the emotional centers of the brain, such as the amygdala, where it helps regulate emotional responses.
In people without depression, the DLPFC helps keep emotions in balance. When negative feelings arise, it can help you see the situation differently, shift your attention or use a coping strategy. This stops emotions from becoming overwhelming.
In depression, lower DLPFC activity weakens this balance. Negative feelings can last longer. Concentrating and making decisions can also become harder.
The DLPFC in depression
Depression affects several brain areas, and the DLPFC shows one of the most consistent changes. Brain scans show lower activity in the left DLPFC in people with depression compared with people without depression.¹
Underactivity in the left DLPFC is consistently observed in depression, and interventional trials suggest it plays a mechanistic role.¹ Activity in this area is a focus of treatments for depression.
The two sides of the DLPFC may play different roles in emotion. The left DLPFC may be more involved in positive feelings and moving toward things. The right DLPFC may be more involved in negative feelings and pulling back.
This is why the DLPFC is a target for treatment. Brain stimulation treatments, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), aim to increase activity in the left DLPFC. Most brain stimulation treatments for depression target the left DLPFC for this reason.
