A structure in the prefrontal cortex (see figure below) and limbic system that is closely associated with executive attention and executive function. It is activated during conditions of irritation or anger, with extraverted people showing a higher level of activation in the anterior cingulate cortex. In contrast, introverts have less activation in this cortex, but more in the prefrontal cortex. Abnormalities in size, density, and dendritic arborization of neurons in the anterior cingulate gyrus and other areas of the limbic system (e.g., amygdala, hippocampus) have been found in postmortem examinations of the brains of people with autism.
