Temporal lobes

Anatomical region of the brain involved in processing sensory input and memory.

Temporal lobe

Animation of the human brain highlighting the temporal lobe

The temporal lobes are one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. They are located beneath the lateral fissure on both cerebral hemispheres of the mammalian brain. The temporal lobes are involved in processing sensory input into derived meanings for the appropriate retention of visual memory, language comprehension, and emotion association.

Anatomy

The temporal lobes are situated at the sides of the brain, roughly corresponding to the region of the head known as the temples. They are located beneath the parietal lobe and behind the frontal lobe. The temporal lobes are separated from the frontal and parietal lobes by the lateral sulcus, also known as the Sylvian fissure.

Subdivisions

The temporal lobe can be divided into several important regions:

• The superior temporal gyrus is involved in processing sounds. It includes the primary auditory cortex, which is responsible for interpreting sounds and language.
• The middle temporal gyrus is involved in the recognition of known faces and the perception of moving objects.
• The inferior temporal gyrus is involved in complex visual processing, such as object recognition.
• The fusiform gyrus is involved in high-level visual processing and recognition, including facial recognition.

Functions

The temporal lobes are critical for processing auditory information and are also important for the processing of semantics in both speech and vision. They contain the hippocampus and are therefore involved in the formation of explicit long-term memory.

Auditory Processing

The primary auditory cortex, located in the superior temporal gyrus, is responsible for processing sounds. It is involved in the perception of pitch and volume and is crucial for understanding spoken language.

Memory

The temporal lobes play a key role in the formation of long-term memory. The hippocampus, located within the temporal lobe, is essential for the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory.

Language

The left temporal lobe is particularly important for language comprehension. Wernicke's area, located in the posterior section of the superior temporal gyrus in the dominant cerebral hemisphere, is involved in the comprehension of speech.

Emotion

The temporal lobes are also involved in processing emotions. The amygdala, located within the temporal lobe, is involved in emotion regulation and the processing of emotional memories.

Clinical Significance

Damage to the temporal lobes can result in a variety of disorders, depending on the specific area affected. These can include:

• Wernicke's aphasia, characterized by impaired language comprehension.
• Temporal lobe epilepsy, which can cause seizures originating in the temporal lobe.
• Memory disorders, such as amnesia, due to damage to the hippocampus.

Also see

• Cerebral cortex
• Frontal lobe
• Parietal lobe
• Occipital lobe
• Hippocampus
• Wernicke's area