Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Gross anatomy of the brain
- 3 Histology
- 4 Occipital and parietal lobes
- 5 Temporal lobe – neocortical structures
- 6 Frontal lobe
- 7 Basal ganglia
- 8 Diencephalon: hypothalamus and epithalamus
- 9 Diencephalon: thalamus
- 10 Brainstem
- 11 Limbic system: temporal lobe
- 12 Limbic system: cingulate cortex
- 13 Limbic system: overview
- 14 Interhemispheric connections and laterality
- Index
- Plate section
- References
11 - Limbic system: temporal lobe
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Gross anatomy of the brain
- 3 Histology
- 4 Occipital and parietal lobes
- 5 Temporal lobe – neocortical structures
- 6 Frontal lobe
- 7 Basal ganglia
- 8 Diencephalon: hypothalamus and epithalamus
- 9 Diencephalon: thalamus
- 10 Brainstem
- 11 Limbic system: temporal lobe
- 12 Limbic system: cingulate cortex
- 13 Limbic system: overview
- 14 Interhemispheric connections and laterality
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
The temporal lobe can be divided into two subdivisions. The newer lateral portion (neocortical) is responsible for audition, for speech, and for the integration of sensory information from a variety of sensory modalities and is the topic of Chapter 5. The other division of the temporal lobe is the ventromedial portion, which is older cortex (archicortex and paleocortex) and consists of regions that have become recognized as components of the limbic system. The limbic system structures that are part of the temporal lobe include the parahippocampal gyrus (see Figures 5.2 and 13.1), the entorhinal cortex, the hippocampal formation (Figure 11.1), the uncus (see Figure 13.2), the amygdala, and the cortex of the temporal pole (Martin, 1996). All sensory information from the external world passes through unimodal and multimodal association areas before finally converging on the hippocampus and amygdala. These structures can be considered to be supramodal centers. Chapter 13 provides an overall picture of the limbic system.
The hippocampus is important in memory and for learning the importance of specific external stimuli. The amygdala appears to be important in emotional conditioning and in learning the relationship between internal and external cues related to emotion and affect (Bechara et al., 1995).
Hippocampal formation
The hippocampal formation occupies a central position in the limbic system (Figures 11.1–11.3). Superficially, cortex near the rostral end of the parahippocampal gyrus is the entorhinal cortex and corresponds with BA 28 (Figures 13.1 and 13.2).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Brain and BehaviorAn Introduction to Behavioral Neuroanatomy, pp. 178 - 200Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005