Lateral sulcus

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Lateral sulcus
Lateral sulcus2.png
Lateral sulcus
Details
Identifiers
Latin fissura lateralis cerebri
sulcus lateralis cerebri
fissura Sylvii
NeuroNames 49
NeuroLex ID birnlex_1487
TA98 A14.1.06.006
A14.1.09.104
TA2 5436, 5877
FMA 77801
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The lateral sulcus (or lateral fissure, also called Sylvian fissure, after Franciscus Sylvius) is the most prominent sulcus of each cerebral hemisphere in the human brain. The lateral sulcus is a deep fissure in each hemisphere that separates the frontal and parietal lobes from the temporal lobe. The insular cortex lies deep within the lateral sulcus.

Contents

Anatomy

The lateral sulcus divides both the frontal lobe and parietal lobe above from the temporal lobe below. It is in both hemispheres of the brain. The lateral sulcus is one of the earliest-developing sulci of the human brain, appearing around the fourteenth week of gestational age. [1]

The insular cortex lies deep within the lateral sulcus. [2]

The lateral sulcus has a number of side branches. Two of the most prominent and most regularly found are the ascending (also called vertical) ramus and the horizontal ramus of the lateral fissure, which subdivide the inferior frontal gyrus. The lateral sulcus also contains the transverse temporal gyri, which are part of the primary and below the surface auditory cortex.

Due to a phenomenon called the Yakovlevian torque, the lateral sulcus is often longer and less curved on the left hemisphere than on the right.

It is also located near the Sylvian point.

The area lying around the Sylvian fissure is often referred to as the perisylvian cortex. [3]

The human secondary somatosensory cortex (S2, SII) is a functionally-defined region of cortex in the parietal operculum on the ceiling of the lateral sulcus.

Discovery

The first depiction of the lateral sulcus (in its top right side) in 1600 in the Tabulae Pictae 112.10 by Girolamo Fabrici d'Acquapendente. Girolamo Fabrici d'Acquapendente Tabulae Picae 1600.png
The first depiction of the lateral sulcus (in its top right side) in 1600 in the Tabulae Pictae 112.10 by Girolamo Fabrici d'Acquapendente.

The cerebral cortex was not depicted in a realistic manner until the 17th century with the Sylvian fissure being first accurately painted by Girolamo Fabrici d'Acquapendente in 1600 to provide plates for his Tabulae Pictae. [4] [5] [6]

The engraving by J. Voort Kamp published in 1641 that led to the lateral sulcus being named after Franciscus Sylvius J. Voort Kamp in Caspar Bartholin Institutiones Anatomicae.png
The engraving by J. Voort Kamp published in 1641 that led to the lateral sulcus being named after Franciscus Sylvius

Its first description is traditionally taken to be in 1641, possibly by Caspar Bartholin, where its discovery was attributed to Franciscus Sylvius (1614–1672), professor of medicine at Leiden University in the book Casp. Bartolini Institutiones Anatomicae where it is noted that "F.S. [F.S. probably refers to Franciscus Sylvius] If you examine the indentations which are represented in Figure 5 quite attentively, you will notice that they are very deep and that the brain is divided from one side to the other by the 'anfractuosa fissura,' which starts in the front part near the ocular roots, and from there moves backwards above the base of the spinal cord, following the temporal bones, and it divides the upper part of the brain from the lower." [4]

It seems likely, however, that, since Caspar Bartholin died in 1629 and Franciscus Sylvius only started medicine in 1632, these words are by either Caspar's son Thomas Bartholin or Franciscus Sylvius himself. In 1663 in his Disputationem Medicarum, Sylvius described the lateral fissure: "Particularly noticeable is the deep fissure or hiatus which begins at the roots of the eyes (oculorum radices) . . . it runs posteriorly above the temples as far as the roots of the brain stem (medulla radices). . . . It divides the cerebrum into an upper, larger part and a lower, smaller part". [4]

Right: Red cloak as lateral view of the human brain Creacion de Adam.jpg
Right: Red cloak as lateral view of the human brain

Pop musician David Bowie referred to psychologist Carl Jung as "...crashing out with Sylvian" in his lyrics to "Drive-In Saturday" released on his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. In 2015, [7] artist Tanja Stark suggested Bowie had drawn a cryptic link between Jung's waking hallucinatory visions (see The Red Book ) and the Sylvian fissure, a region discovered by that time to produce hallucinogenic visions and ‘paranormal’ perceptions when electrically stimulated and, presciently in 2006, to generate what neurologists called an ‘illusory shadow person’ or doppelgänger phenomenon; themselves highly charged and recurring Bowie archetypes (Penfield [8] 1955; Arzy et al., 2006 [9] ). Stark notes another song on that album "Oh! You Pretty Things" sings of the hallucinatory spectre of .."a crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me", evoking the iconic imagery of Michelangelo's painting The Creation of Adam. Stark observes that the American Medical Journal reported that Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam appears to conform deliberately to the neuroanatomical shape of the brain, its Sylvian fissure clearly evident, suggesting Michelangelo may have intentionally conflated theology with neurology ( [10] Meshberger 1990: 1837). Others though, have likened the cloak to the uterus and umbilical cord. [11]

Additional images

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hieronymus Fabricius</span> Italian physician, anatomist and surgeon (1533–1619)

Girolamo Fabrici d'Acquapendente, also known as Girolamo Fabrizio or Hieronymus Fabricius, was a pioneering anatomist and surgeon known in medical science as "The Father of Embryology."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerebral hemisphere</span> Left and right cerebral hemispheres of the brain

The vertebrate cerebrum (brain) is formed by two cerebral hemispheres that are separated by a groove, the longitudinal fissure. The brain can thus be described as being divided into left and right cerebral hemispheres. Each of these hemispheres has an outer layer of grey matter, the cerebral cortex, that is supported by an inner layer of white matter. In eutherian (placental) mammals, the hemispheres are linked by the corpus callosum, a very large bundle of nerve fibers. Smaller commissures, including the anterior commissure, the posterior commissure and the fornix, also join the hemispheres and these are also present in other vertebrates. These commissures transfer information between the two hemispheres to coordinate localized functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parietal lobe</span> Part of the brain responsible for sensory input and some language processing

The parietal lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The parietal lobe is positioned above the temporal lobe and behind the frontal lobe and central sulcus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frontal lobe</span> Part of the brain

The frontal lobe is the largest of the four major lobes of the brain in mammals, and is located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere. It is parted from the parietal lobe by a groove between tissues called the central sulcus and from the temporal lobe by a deeper groove called the lateral sulcus. The most anterior rounded part of the frontal lobe is known as the frontal pole, one of the three poles of the cerebrum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occipital lobe</span> Part of the brain at the back of the head

The occipital lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The name derives from its position at the back of the head, from the Latin ob, 'behind', and caput, 'head'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerebrum</span> Large part of the brain containing the cerebral cortex

The cerebrum, telencephalon or endbrain is the largest part of the brain, containing the cerebral cortex as well as several subcortical structures, including the hippocampus, basal ganglia, and olfactory bulb. In the human brain, the cerebrum is the uppermost region of the central nervous system. The cerebrum develops prenatally from the forebrain (prosencephalon). In mammals, the dorsal telencephalon, or pallium, develops into the cerebral cortex, and the ventral telencephalon, or subpallium, becomes the basal ganglia. The cerebrum is also divided into approximately symmetric left and right cerebral hemispheres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brodmann area 40</span> Part of the parietal cortex in the human brain

Brodmann area 40 (BA40) is part of the parietal cortex in the human brain. The inferior part of BA40 is in the area of the supramarginal gyrus, which lies at the posterior end of the lateral fissure, in the inferior lateral part of the parietal lobe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inferior frontal gyrus</span> Part of the brains prefrontal cortex

The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG),, is the lowest positioned gyrus of the frontal gyri, of the frontal lobe, and is part of the prefrontal cortex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulcus (morphology)</span> Groove in an organ surface

In biological morphology and anatomy, a sulcus is a furrow or fissure. It may be a groove, natural division, deep furrow, elongated cleft, or tear in the surface of a limb or an organ, most notably on the surface of the brain, but also in the lungs, certain muscles, as well as in bones, and elsewhere. Many sulci are the product of a surface fold or junction, such as in the gums, where they fold around the neck of the tooth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle cerebral artery</span> Paired artery that supplies blood to the cerebrum

The middle cerebral artery (MCA) is one of the three major paired cerebral arteries that supply blood to the cerebrum. The MCA arises from the internal carotid artery and continues into the lateral sulcus where it then branches and projects to many parts of the lateral cerebral cortex. It also supplies blood to the anterior temporal lobes and the insular cortices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lobes of the brain</span> Parts of the cerebrum

The lobes of the brain are the four major identifiable regions of the human cerebral cortex, and they comprise the surface of each hemisphere of the cerebrum. The two hemispheres are roughly symmetrical in structure, and are connected by the corpus callosum. Some sources include the insula and limbic lobe but the limbic lobe incorporates parts of the other lobes. The lobes are large areas that are anatomically distinguishable, and are also functionally distinct. Each lobe of the brain has numerous ridges, or gyri, and furrows, sulci that constitute further subzones of the cortex. The expression "lobes of the brain" usually refers only to those of the cerebrum, not to the distinct areas of the cerebellum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franciscus Sylvius</span> Dutch physician, chemist, and anatomist (1614-72)

Franciscus Sylvius was a Dutch physician and scientist who was an early champion of Descartes', Van Helmont's and William Harvey's work and theories. He was one of the earliest defenders of the theory of circulation of the blood in the Netherlands, and commonly falsely cited as the inventor of gin – others pinpoint the origin of gin to Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operculum (brain)</span> Part of the anatomy of the brain

In human brain anatomy, an operculum, may refer to the frontal, temporal, or parietal operculum, which together cover the insula as the opercula of insula. It can also refer to the occipital operculum, part of the occipital lobe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parieto-occipital sulcus</span> Fold which separates the parietal and occipital lobes of the brain

In neuroanatomy, the parieto-occipital sulcus is a deep sulcus in the cerebral cortex that marks the boundary between the cuneus and precuneus, and also between the parietal and occipital lobes. Only a small part can be seen on the lateral surface of the hemisphere, its chief part being on the medial surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inferior parietal lobule</span> Portion of the parietal lobe of the brain

The inferior parietal lobule lies below the horizontal portion of the intraparietal sulcus, and behind the lower part of the postcentral sulcus. Also known as Geschwind's territory after Norman Geschwind, an American neurologist, who in the early 1960s recognised its importance. It is a part of the parietal lobe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulcus (neuroanatomy)</span> Fold in the surface of the brain

In neuroanatomy, a sulcus is a shallow depression or groove in the cerebral cortex. One or more sulci surround a gyrus, a ridge on the surface of the cortex, creating the characteristic folded appearance of the brain in humans and most other mammals. The larger sulci are also called fissures. The cortex develops in the fetal stage of corticogenesis, preceding the cortical folding stage known as gyrification.

The sensory cortex can refer sometimes to the primary somatosensory cortex, or it can be used as a term for the primary and secondary cortices of the different senses : the visual cortex on the occipital lobes, the auditory cortex on the temporal lobes, the primary olfactory cortex on the uncus of the piriform region of the temporal lobes, the gustatory cortex on the insular lobe, and the primary somatosensory cortex on the anterior parietal lobes. Just posterior to the primary somatosensory cortex lies the somatosensory association cortex or area, which integrates sensory information from the primary somatosensory cortex to construct an understanding of the object being felt. Inferior to the frontal lobes are found the olfactory bulbs, which receive sensory input from the olfactory nerves and route those signals throughout the brain. Not all olfactory information is routed to the olfactory cortex: some neural fibers are routed to the supraorbital region of the frontal lobe, while others are routed directly to limbic structures. The direct limbic connection makes the olfactory sense unique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superior longitudinal fasciculus</span> Association fiber tract of the brain

The superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) is an association tract in the brain that is composed of three separate components. It is present in both hemispheres and can be found lateral to the centrum semiovale and connects the frontal, occipital, parietal, and temporal lobes. This bundle of tracts (fasciculus) passes from the frontal lobe through the operculum to the posterior end of the lateral sulcus where they either radiate to and synapse on neurons in the occipital lobe, or turn downward and forward around the putamen and then radiate to and synapse on neurons in anterior portions of the temporal lobe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brain asymmetry</span> Term in human neuroanatomy referring to several things

In human neuroanatomy, brain asymmetry can refer to at least two quite distinct findings:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superior temporal sulcus</span> Part of the brains temporal lobe

In the human brain, the superior temporal sulcus (STS) is the sulcus separating the superior temporal gyrus from the middle temporal gyrus in the temporal lobe of the brain. A sulcus is a deep groove that curves into the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum, and a gyrus is a ridge that curves outward of the cerebrum.

References

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  3. Courten Norbury: Understanding Developmental Language Disorders: From Theory to Practice 2008, p. 63
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  9. Shahar, Arzy; Seeck, Margitta; Ortigue, Stephanie; Laurent Spinelli, L; Blanke, Olaf (2006). "Induction of an Illusory Shadow Person". Nature. 443 (7109): 287. doi: 10.1038/443287a . PMID   16988702.
  10. Meshberger, Frank Lynn (1990). "An Interpretation of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam Based on Neuroanatomy". JAMA. 264 (14): 1837–41. doi:10.1001/jama.1990.03450140059034. PMID   2205727.
  11. Di Bella, Stefano (2015). "The "Delivery" of Adam: A Medical Interpretation of Michelangelo". Mayo Clinic Proceedings . 90 (4): 505–508. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.02.007 . PMID   25841253.