Posterior cingulate
Encyclopedia
The posterior cingulate cortex is the backmost part of the cingulate cortex
, lying behind the anterior cingulate cortex
.
This is the upper part of the "limbic lobe
". The cingulate cortex is made up of an area around the midline of the brain
. Surrounding areas include the retrosplenial cortex and the precuneus
.
Cytoarchitectonically the posterior cingulate cortex is associated with Brodmann area
s 23
and 31
.
The posterior cingulate cortex forms a central node in the "default mode" network of the brain. Along with the precuneus, it has been implicated as a neural substrate for human awareness in numerous studies of both the anesthesized and vegetative (coma) state. Imaging studies indicate a prominent role for the posterior cingulate cortex in pain and episodic memory retrieval. The posterior cingulate may also be involved in the capacity to understand what other people believe.
Cingulate cortex
The cingulate cortex is a part of the brain situated in the medial aspect of the cortex. It includes the cortex of the cingulate gyrus, which lies immediately above the corpus callosum, and the continuation of this in the cingulate sulcus...
, lying behind the anterior cingulate cortex
Anterior cingulate cortex
The anterior cingulate cortex is the frontal part of the cingulate cortex, that resembles a "collar" form around the corpus callosum, the fibrous bundle that relays neural signals between the right and left cerebral hemispheres of the brain...
.
This is the upper part of the "limbic lobe
Limbic lobe
The limbic lobe is an arc-shaped region of cortex on the medial surface of each cerebral hemisphere of the mammalian brain, consisting of parts of the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes...
". The cingulate cortex is made up of an area around the midline of the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
. Surrounding areas include the retrosplenial cortex and the precuneus
Precuneus
The precuneus is a part of the superior parietal lobule hidden in the medial longitudinal fissure between the two cerebral hemispheres. It is sometimes described as the medial area of the superior parietal cortex. It is involved with episodic memory, visuospatial processing, reflections upon self,...
.
Cytoarchitectonically the posterior cingulate cortex is associated with Brodmann area
Brodmann area
A Brodmann area is a region of the cerebral cortex defined based on its cytoarchitectonics, or structure and organization of cells.-History:...
s 23
Brodmann area 23
Brodmann area 23 is a region in the brain corresponding to some portion of the posterior cingulate cortex. It lies between Brodmann area 30 and Brodmann area 31 and is located on the medial wall of the cingulate gyrus between the callosal sulcus and the cingulate sulcus.-Human:This area is also...
and 31
Brodmann area 31
Brodmann area 31, also known as dorsal posterior cingulate area 31, is a subdivision of the cytoarchitecturally defined cingulate region of the cerebral cortex. In the human it occupies portions of the posterior cingulate gyrus and medial aspect of the parietal lobe. Approximate boundaries are the...
.
The posterior cingulate cortex forms a central node in the "default mode" network of the brain. Along with the precuneus, it has been implicated as a neural substrate for human awareness in numerous studies of both the anesthesized and vegetative (coma) state. Imaging studies indicate a prominent role for the posterior cingulate cortex in pain and episodic memory retrieval. The posterior cingulate may also be involved in the capacity to understand what other people believe.