Brodmann area 37

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Brodmann area 37 (BA37) is a region of the brain in the human cerebral cortex. It is located in the temporal lobe and is part of the fusiform gyrus and the inferior temporal gyrus. This area is also known as the occipitotemporal area.

Anatomy

Brodmann area 37 is situated in the posterior part of the temporal lobe, adjacent to the occipital lobe. It is bounded rostrally by Brodmann area 20 and Brodmann area 21, caudally by Brodmann area 19, dorsally by Brodmann area 39, and ventrally by the fusiform gyrus.

Function

BA37 is involved in various high-level visual processing tasks. It plays a crucial role in the recognition of complex objects, including faces and words. This area is also implicated in the processing of semantic information and is thought to contribute to the integration of visual and linguistic information.

Clinical Significance

Damage to Brodmann area 37 can result in a variety of neurological deficits. Lesions in this area are associated with visual agnosia, a condition where patients are unable to recognize objects despite having intact vision. Additionally, damage to BA37 can lead to prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces, and alexia, the inability to read.

Research

Recent studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have shown that BA37 is activated during tasks that require the recognition of faces and objects. This area is also of interest in research on dyslexia and other reading disorders, as it is involved in the processing of written language.

See Also

• Brodmann area
• Temporal lobe
• Visual cortex
• Fusiform gyrus
• Inferior temporal gyrus
• Visual agnosia
• Prosopagnosia
• Alexia