Middle temporal gyrus is a
gyrus
In neuroanatomy, a gyrus (pl. gyri) is a ridge on the cerebral cortex. It is generally surrounded by one or more sulci (depressions or furrows; sg. ''sulcus''). Gyri and sulci create the folded appearance of the brain in humans and other ma ...
in the brain on the temporal lobe. It is located between the
superior temporal gyrus
The superior temporal gyrus (STG) is one of three (sometimes two) gyri in the temporal lobe of the human brain, which is located laterally to the head, situated somewhat above the external ear.
The superior temporal gyrus is bounded by:
* the lat ...
and
inferior temporal gyrus
The inferior temporal gyrus is one of three gyri of the temporal lobe and is located below the middle temporal gyrus, connected behind with the inferior occipital gyrus; it also extends around the infero-lateral border on to the inferior surface o ...
. It corresponds largely to
Brodmann area 21
Brodmann area 21, or BA21, is part of the temporal cortex in the human brain. The region encompasses most of the lateral temporal cortex and is also known as middle temporal area 21. In the human it corresponds approximately to the middle tempor ...
.
The middle temporal gyrus is bounded by:
* the
superior temporal sulcus
The superior temporal sulcus (STS) is the sulcus separating the superior temporal gyrus from the middle temporal gyrus in the temporal lobe of the brain. A sulcus (plural sulci) is a deep groove that curves into the largest part of the brain, t ...
above;
* the
inferior temporal sulcus
The inferior surface of the temporal lobe is concave, and is continuous posteriorly with the tentorial surface of the occipital lobe. It is traversed by the inferior temporal sulcus, which extends from near the occipital pole behind, to within a sh ...
below;
* an imaginary line drawn from the
preoccipital notch
About in front of the occipital pole of the human brain, on the infero-lateral border is an indentation or notch, named the preoccipital notch. It is considered a landmark because the occipital lobe
The occipital lobe is one of the four majo ...
to the
lateral sulcus
In neuroanatomy, the lateral sulcus (also called Sylvian fissure, after Franciscus Sylvius, or lateral fissure) is one of the most prominent features of the human brain. The lateral sulcus is a deep fissure in each hemisphere that separates the ...
posteriorly
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
.
It has been connected with processes as different as contemplating distance,
recognition of known faces, audio-visual emotional recognition, and accessing word meaning while reading.
Some studies indicate that lesions of the posterior region of the middle temporal gyrus, in the left cerebral hemisphere, may result in
alexia and
agraphia
Agraphia is an acquired neurological disorder causing a loss in the ability to communicate through writing, either due to some form of motor dysfunction or an inability to spell. The loss of writing ability may present with other language or neur ...
for
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
characters (characters of Chinese origin used in Japanese writing).
The left middle temporal gyrus is also activated during poem composition.
[Brain activity and connectivity during poetry composition: Toward a multidimensional model of the creative process
Siyuan Liu, Michael G. Erkkinen, Meghan L. Healey, Yisheng Xu, Katherine E. Swett, Ho Ming Chow, Allen R. Braun]
Additional images
File:Middle temporal gyrus animation small.gif, Position of middle temporal gyrus(shown in red).
File:Gray1197.png, Drawing to illustrate the relations of the brain to the skull.
File:Gehirn, lateral - Hauptgyri beschriftet.svg, Lateral view of a human brain, main gyri labeled.
File:Slide2HAN.JPG, Cerebrum. Lateral view. Deep dissection. Superior temporal gyrus is labeled at bottom center.
File:Middle_Temporal_-_DK_ATLAS.png, Middle temporal gyrus, right hemisphere.
File:Middle temporal gyrus coronal sections.gif, Middle temporal gyrus highlighted in green on coronal T1 MRI images
File:Middle temporal gyrus sagittal sections.gif, Middle temporal gyrus highlighted in green on sagittal T1 MRI images
File:Middle temporal gyrus transversal sections.gif, Middle temporal gyrus highlighted in green on transversal T1 MRI images
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Middle Temporal Gyrus
Gyri
Temporal lobe