Brain: Fusiform gyrus
Medial surface of left cerebral hemisphere. (Fusiform gyrus visible near bottom)
Medial surface of right cerebral hemisphere. (Fusiform gyrus visible near bottom)
Latin	gyrus fusiformis
Gray's	subject #189 824
NeuroNames	hier-121
NeuroLex ID	birnlex_1641

The fusiform gyrus is part of the temporal lobe. It is also known as the (discontinuous) occipitotemporal gyrus. ^[1] Other sources have the fusiform gyrus above the occipitotemporal gyrus and underneath the parahippocampal gyrus.^[2]

Contents 1 Function 1.1 Function in Synaesthetes 2 The Fusiform Gyrus in Popular Culture 3 References 4 Additional images 5 External links

[edit] Function

There is still some dispute over the functionalities of this area, but there is relative consensus on the following:

1. processing of color information
2. face and body recognition (see Fusiform face area)
3. word recognition
4. number recognition [questionable: may only be as a result of a global response of any generic recognition tasks, further statistical evidence needed]
5. within-category identification

Some researchers believe that the fusiform gyrus may be related to the disorder known as prosopagnosia, or face blindness. Research has also shown the fusiform face area, the area within the fusiform gyrus, is heavily involved in face perception but only to any generic within-category identification which is shown to be one of the functions of the fusiform gyrus.^[3]

[edit] Function in Synaesthetes

Recent research has seen activation of the fusiform gyrus during subjective grapheme-color perception in people with synaesthesia.^[4]

[edit] The Fusiform Gyrus in Popular Culture

Police inspector Beate Lønn in the Harry Hole detective series by Jo Nesbø is supposed to have a well developed fusiform gyrus, explaining why she has an outstanding ability to recognize the villains from surveillance cameras and police photos.

[edit] References

[edit] Additional images

Basal view of a human brain

[edit] External links

• Atlas of anatomy at UMich n1a2p13 - "Cerebral Hemisphere, Inferior View"
• Location at mattababy.org
• [1] at ted.com
• NIF Search - Fusiform Gyrus via the Neuroscience Information Framework

v • d • e Human brain: forebrain (cerebrum · cerebral cortex · cerebral hemispheres, grey matter) (TA A14.1.09.002-240, 301-320, GA 9.818-826) Frontal lobe Superolateral Prefrontal Superior frontal gyrus (4l, 6l, 8l) · Middle frontal gyrus (9l, 10l, 46) Inferior frontal gyrus: 11l · 47-Pars orbitalis · Broca's area (44-Pars opercularis, 45-Pars triangularis) Superior frontal sulcus · Inferior frontal sulcus Precentral Precentral gyrus · Precentral sulcus Medial/inferior Prefrontal Superior frontal gyrus (4m, 6m) · Medial frontal gyrus (8m, 9m) Paraterminal gyrus/Paraolfactory area (12) · Straight gyrus (11m) · Orbital gyri/Orbitofrontal cortex (10m, 11m, 12) · Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (10m) · Subcallosal area (25) Olfactory sulcus · Orbital sulci Precentral Paracentral lobule (4) · Paracentral sulcus Both Primary motor cortex (4) · Premotor cortex (6) · Supplementary motor area (6) · Frontal eye fields (8) Parietal lobe Superolateral Superior parietal lobule (5l, 7l) · Inferior parietal lobule (40-Supramarginal gyrus, 39-Angular gyrus) · Parietal operculum (43) Intraparietal sulcus Medial/inferior Paracentral lobule (1m, 2m, 3m, 5m) · Precuneus (7m) Marginal sulcus Both Postcentral gyrus/primary somatosensory cortex (1 · 2 · 3) · Secondary somatosensory cortex (5) · Posterior parietal cortex (7) Occipital lobe Superolateral Occipital pole of cerebrum · Lateral occipital gyrus (18, 19) · Lunate sulcus · Transverse occipital sulcus Medial/inferior Primary visual cortex (17) · Cuneus · Lingual gyrus Calcarine fissure Temporal lobe Superolateral Transverse temporal gyrus/Primary auditory cortex (41, 42) · Superior temporal gyrus (38, 22/Wernicke's area) · Middle temporal gyrus (21) · Inferior temporal gyrus (20) Superior temporal sulcus · Inferior temporal sulcus Medial/inferior Fusiform gyrus (37) Medial temporal lobe ((27 · 28 · 34 · 35 · 36)) Inferior temporal sulcus Interlobar sulci/fissures Superolateral Central (frontal+parietal) · Lateral (frontal+parietal+temporal) · Parieto-occipital · Preoccipital notch Medial/inferior Medial longitudinal · Cingulate (frontal+cingulate) · Collateral (temporal+occipital) · Callosal sulcus Limbic lobe Parahippocampal gyrus anterior (Entorhinal cortex, Perirhinal cortex) · Posterior parahippocampal gyrus · Prepyriform area Cingulate cortex/gyrus Subgenual area (25) · Anterior cingulate (24, 32, 33) · Posterior cingulate (23, 31) Isthmus of cingulate gyrus: Retrosplenial cortex (26, 29, 30) Hippocampal formation Hippocampal sulcus · Fimbria of hippocampus · Dentate gyrus Other Supracallosal gyrus · Uncus Insular lobe Long gyrus of insula · Short gyri of insula · Circular sulcus of insula General Operculum · Poles of cerebral hemispheres Some categorizations are approximations, and some Brodmann areas span gyri.

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