The '''anterior cingulate cortex''' (ACC) is the frontal part of the [[cingulate cortex]], that resembles a "collar" form around the [[corpus callosum]], the fibrous bundle that relays neuron|neural signals between the right and left [[cerebral hemisphere]]s of the brain. It consists of Brodmann areas 24, 32 and 33. It appears to play a role in a wide variety of [[Autonomic nervous system|autonomic]] functions, such as regulating blood pressure and heart rate, as well as rational cognitive functions, such as reward anticipation, [[Decision Making|decision making]], empathy<ref>http://ccare.stanford.edu/node/89</ref> and emotion.<ref>Decety, J., & Jackson, P.L. (2004). The functional architecture of human empathy. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews, 3, 71-100.</ref><ref>Jackson P.L., Brunet E., Meltzoff A.N., Decety J., 2006 Empathy examined through the neural mechanisms involved in imagining how I feel versus how you feel pain: An event-related fMRI study, ''Neuropsychologia'', 44, pp. 752–61</ref>

[[File:Gray727 anterior cingulate cortex.png|thumb|alt=Medial surface of left cerebral hemisphere, with anterior cingulate highlighted.|Medial surface of left cerebral hemisphere, with anterior cingulate highlighted.]]