Inferior temporal gyrus
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At the time the article was created Daniel Loh had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel Loh's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Andrew Murphy had no recorded disclosures.
View Andrew Murphy's current disclosuresThe inferior temporal gyrus is the most ventral of the three gyri on the lateral surface of the temporal lobe.
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Gross anatomy
The inferior temporal gyrus is bounded above by the inferior temporal sulcus and below by the lateral occipitotemporal sulcus (which sits on the inferior surface of the temporal lobe). Its anterior and posterior limits are defined similar to the middle temporal gyrus 1.
Blood supply
The inferior temporal gyrus is supplied by all four temporal branches of the middle cerebral artery that emerge from the lateral sulcus 1,2.
Function
A Japanese fMRI study found that the left posterior inferior temporal gyrus played a role in the writing of Kanji (logogram) and, by extension, other non-alphabetical languages 3.
Related pathology
Lesions of the posterior inferior temporal gyrus result in agraphia of logographic writing systems, e.g. Kanji, Chinese characters 3.
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Kiernan JA. Anatomy of the temporal lobe. Epilepsy Res Treat. 2012;2012: 176157. doi:10.1155/2012/176157 - Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
- 2. De Long WB. Anatomy of the middle cerebral artery: the temporal branches. Stroke. 1973;4 (3): 412-8. Pubmed citation
- 3. Nakamura K, Honda M, Okada T et-al. Participation of the left posterior inferior temporal cortex in writing and mental recall of kanji orthographyA functional MRI study. Brain. 2000;123 (5): 954-967. doi:10.1093/brain/123.5.954
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