# Brodmann area 38

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Region of the brain's temporal cortex

Brodmann area 38 Details Identifiers Latin area temporopolaris NeuroLex ID birnlex_1771 FMA 68635 Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy [edit on Wikidata]

**Brodmann area 38**, also **BA38** or **temporopolar area 38 (H)**, is part of the [temporal](/source/Temporal_lobe) [cortex](/source/Cerebral_cortex) in the [human brain](/source/Human_brain). BA 38 is at the anterior end of the temporal lobe, known as the temporal pole.

BA38 is a subdivision of the [cytoarchitecturally](/source/Cytoarchitecture) defined [temporal region](/source/Temporal_lobe) of [cerebral cortex](/source/Cerebral_cortex). It is located primarily in the most rostral portions of the [superior temporal gyrus](/source/Superior_temporal_gyrus) and the [middle temporal gyrus](/source/Middle_temporal_gyrus). Cytoarchitecturally it is bounded caudally by the [inferior temporal area 20](/source/Inferior_temporal_area_20), the [middle temporal area 21](/source/Middle_temporal_area_21), the [superior temporal area 22](/source/Superior_temporal_area_22) and the [ectorhinal area 36](/source/Ectorhinal_area_36).[1]

The temporal pole is a [paralimbic](/source/Paralimbic_cortex) region involved in high level semantic representation and socio-emotional processing. The [uncinate fasciculus](/source/Uncinate_fasciculus) provides a direct bidirectional path to the orbitofrontal cortex, allowing mnemonic representations stored in the temporal pole to bias decision making in the frontal lobe. The temporal pole appears to be a convergence zone where concepts (also known as [semantic memories](/source/Semantic_memories)) that are stored in the ventral anterior temporal lobe are imbued with emotional significance and personal meaning.[2] In addition, concepts of individual people, abstracted away from the perceptual representations, are stored in a "face patch" in the temporal pole. This face patch is found in both non-human primates and humans.[3] This relates to early work showing that damage to the temporal pole can cause an amnestic [prosopagnosia](/source/Prosopagnosia) in which recognition of familiar faces is lost.[3]

Bilateral damage to the temporal poles, though rare, can cause dramatic changes in personality. [Klüver-Bucy syndrome](/source/Kl%C3%BCver-Bucy_syndrome) involves damage to the greater temporal pole as well as the [amygdala](/source/Amygdala). In this disorder, people and animals demonstrate fearlessness, hypersexuality, and hyperorality.[2]

This area is among the earliest affected by [Alzheimer's disease](/source/Alzheimer's_disease), [frontotemporal dementia](/source/Frontotemporal_dementia), [frontotemporal lobar degeneration](/source/Frontotemporal_lobar_degeneration), and is commonly involved at the start of [temporal lobe seizures](/source/Temporal_lobe_epilepsy).[4]

Cytoarchitectonic and chemoarchitectonic studies find that it contains at least seven subareas, one of which, "TG", is unique to humans.[4]

## See also

- [Brodmann area](/source/Brodmann_area)

- [List of regions in the human brain](/source/List_of_regions_in_the_human_brain)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Brodmann, Korbinian (1909). [*Vergleichende Lokalisationslehre der Grosshirnrinde in ihren Prinzipien dargestellt auf Grund des Zellenbaues*](https://books.google.com/books?id=-PM3AQAAMAAJ&dq=Brodmann+1909&pg=PR3) (in German). Barth.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Olson_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Olson_2-1) Olson, IR; Plotzker, A; Ezzyat, Y (2007). ["The enigmatic temporal poles: A review of findings on social and emotional processing"](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fbrain%2Fawm052). *Brain*. **130** (7): 1718–1731. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/brain/awm052](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fbrain%2Fawm052). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [17392317](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17392317).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-VonderHeide_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-VonderHeide_3-1) Von der Heide, RJ; Skipper, LM; Olson, IR (2013). ["Anterior temporal face patches: A meta-analysis and empirical study"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3561664). *Frontiers in Human Neuroscience*. **7**: 17. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3389/fnhum.2013.00017](https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffnhum.2013.00017). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [3561664](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3561664). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [23378834](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23378834).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Ding_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Ding_4-1) Ding, S. L.; Van Hoesen, G. W.; Cassell, M. D.; Poremba, A. (2009). ["Parcellation of human temporal polar cortex: A combined analysis of multiple cytoarchitectonic, chemoarchitectonic, and pathological markers"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665344). *The Journal of Comparative Neurology*. **514** (6): 595–623. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/cne.22053](https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fcne.22053). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [3665344](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665344). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [19363802](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19363802).

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Brodmann area 38](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Brodmann_area_38).

v t e Brodmann areas 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52

v t e Anatomy of the cerebral cortex of the human brain Frontal lobe Superolateral Prefrontal Superior frontal gyrus 4 6 8 Middle frontal gyrus 9 10 46 Inferior frontal gyrus: 11 47-Pars orbitalis Broca's area 44-Pars opercularis 45-Pars triangularis Superior frontal sulcus Inferior frontal sulcus Precentral Precentral gyrus Precentral sulcus Medial/inferior Prefrontal Superior frontal gyrus 4 6 Medial frontal gyrus 8 9 Paraterminal gyrus/Paraolfactory area 12 Straight gyrus 11 Orbital gyri/Orbitofrontal cortex 10 11 12 Ventromedial prefrontal cortex 10 Subcallosal area 25 Olfactory sulcus Orbital sulcus Precentral Paracentral lobule 4 Paracentral sulcus Both Primary motor cortex 4 Premotor cortex 6 Supplementary motor area 6 Supplementary eye field 6 Frontal eye fields 8 Parietal lobe Superolateral Superior parietal lobule 5 7 Inferior parietal lobule 40-Supramarginal gyrus 39-Angular gyrus Parietal operculum 43 Intraparietal sulcus Medial/inferior Paracentral lobule 1 2 3 5 Precuneus 7 Marginal sulcus Both Postcentral gyrus/Primary somatosensory cortex 3, 1 and 2 Secondary somatosensory cortex 5 Posterior parietal cortex 7 Occipital lobe Superolateral Occipital pole of cerebrum Occipital gyri Lateral occipital gyrus 18 19 Lunate sulcus Transverse occipital sulcus Medial/inferior Visual cortex 17 Cuneus Lingual gyrus Calcarine sulcus Temporal lobe Superolateral Transverse temporal gyrus/Auditory cortex 41 and 42 Superior temporal gyrus 38 22/Wernicke's area (Planum temporale) Superior temporal sulcus Middle temporal gyrus 21 Medial/inferior Occipitotemporal sulcus Fusiform gyrus 37/Fusiform face area Visual word form area Medial temporal lobe 27 28 34 35 36 Inferior temporal sulcus Inferior temporal gyrus 20 Interlobar sulci/fissures Superolateral Central (frontal+parietal) Lateral (frontal+parietal+temporal) Parieto-occipital Preoccipital notch Medial/inferior Longitudinal fissure Cingulate (frontal+cingulate) Collateral (temporal+occipital) Callosal sulcus Limbic lobe Parahippocampal gyrus anterior Entorhinal cortex Perirhinal cortex Postrhinal cortex Posterior parahippocampal gyrus Prepyriform area Cingulate cortex/gyrus Subgenual area 25 Anterior cingulate 24 32 33 Posterior cingulate 23 31 Isthmus of cingulate gyrus: Retrosplenial cortex 26 29 30 Hippocampal formation Hippocampal sulcus Fimbria of hippocampus Dentate gyrus Rhinal sulcus Other Indusium griseum Uncus Amygdala Insular cortex Insular cortex General Operculum Poles of cerebral hemispheres Some categorizations are approximations, and some Brodmann areas span gyri.

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