Cuneus

Cuneus is a small, wedge-shaped area located in the occipital lobe of the brain. It is involved in the processing of visual information, particularly in relation to the upper field of vision. The cuneus is part of the visual cortex, which is responsible for processing visual stimuli.

Anatomy

The cuneus is located in the medial part of the occipital lobe, which is the posterior part of the brain. It is bounded anteriorly by the parieto-occipital sulcus, inferiorly by the calcarine sulcus, and laterally by the lingual gyrus. The cuneus is separated from the precuneus by the subparietal sulcus.

Function

The primary function of the cuneus is the processing of visual information. It receives visual input from the retina of the eye, specifically from the lower field of vision. This information is then processed and interpreted by the brain to form visual perceptions.

The cuneus is also involved in the processing of spatial orientation and the perception of motion. It plays a role in the perception of color and the recognition of objects and faces.

Clinical significance

Damage to the cuneus can result in visual field defects, such as lower quadrantanopia, which is a loss of vision in the lower quarter of the visual field. It can also result in alexia (inability to read), prosopagnosia (inability to recognize faces), and achromatopsia (inability to perceive color).

See also

• Occipital lobe
• Visual cortex
• Calcarine sulcus
• Parieto-occipital sulcus
• Lingual gyrus
• Precuneus

References

Cuneus Resources
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