Angular gyrus

Angular Gyrus

The angular gyrus is a region of the brain located in the parietal lobe, near the back of the head. It is part of the Brodmann area 39 and is named for its angular shape. The angular gyrus is involved in a variety of cognitive functions, including language processing, number processing, spatial cognition, memory retrieval, and attention.

Anatomy

The angular gyrus is located in the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus, at the junction of the temporal lobe, parietal lobe, and occipital lobe. It is bordered by the supramarginal gyrus anteriorly and the occipital lobe posteriorly. The angular gyrus is part of the inferior parietal lobule, which also includes the supramarginal gyrus.

Function

The angular gyrus is involved in several cognitive functions. It plays a key role in language processing, particularly in the comprehension of written and spoken language. It is also involved in number processing, including arithmetic and numerical cognition. The angular gyrus is implicated in spatial cognition, including the perception of the body's position in space and the perception of objects in the visual field. It is also involved in memory retrieval, particularly episodic memory, and in attention, particularly the allocation of attention in space.

Clinical significance

Damage to the angular gyrus can result in a variety of neurological and cognitive disorders. These include Gerstmann syndrome, a disorder characterized by difficulties with writing (agraphia), difficulties with arithmetic (acalculia), confusion between right and left, and finger agnosia. Other disorders associated with damage to the angular gyrus include alexia (difficulty reading), anomia (difficulty naming objects), and Balint's syndrome (a disorder of visual attention).

See also

• Brodmann area 39
• Inferior parietal lobule
• Gerstmann syndrome
• Alexia
• Anomia
• Balint's syndrome