Brain Regions beginning with P

Glossary of brain regions
Click one of the letters above to go to the page of all terms beginning with that letter.
paracingulate cortex search for term

part of the area extending from the anterior cingulate to the anterior frontal pole. Implicated in self-reflection, person perception and in making inferences about others' thoughts.

parahippocampal search for term

is located in the limbic lobe. Recent research has found neurons here that are responsive to landmarks.

paralimbic zone search for term

an "uninterrupted girdle surrounding the medial and basal aspects of the cerebral hemispheres" containing the insula cortex, the temporal pole, the cingulate cortex, the parahippocampal cortices, and the orbitofrontal cortex.

parietal lobe search for term

one of the lobes of the cerebrum, situated at the top, behind the frontal lobe. The primary sensory area is located in the parietal lobe - this is where nerve impulses carrying sensations of pain, temperature, touch, and pressure come. Areas in the parietal lobe are also involved in spatial orientation, speech and language development, and attention.

parietotemporal region search for term

the region where the parietal and temporal lobes meet. The area has been implicated in dyslexia.

pars triangularis search for term

part of Broca's area, in the left inferior frontal gyrus

perirhinal cortex search for term

part of the medial temporal lobe

piriform cortex search for term

piriform / pyriform means pear-shaped. It is a composite substructure that includes the lateral olfactory stria, one of three divisions of the olfactory tract. The olfactory system is the only sensory system that goes directly to the cerebral cortex without first synapsing in the thalamus.

planum polare search for term

part of the superior temporal gyrus, in the temporal lobe; part of the cortical network involved in language and music processing.

planum temporale search for term

part of the superior temporal gyrus, in the temporal lobe. The planum temporal is part of the cortical network involved in language and music processing, and is generally larger in the left hemisphere than the right.

pons search for term

short for pons varolii; a "bridge" (pons is Latin for bridge) of nerve fibers connecting the cerebellum and the medulla oblongata with other regions of the brain, most particularly with the frontal lobe.

posterior medial temporal gyrus search for term

the rear part of the gyrus in the temporal lobe between the inferior temporal gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus. Implicated in semantic and conceptual processing of language.

posterior parietal cortex search for term

the rear part of the parietal lobe (thus adjacent to the occipital lobe). Associated in humans with a variety of complex behaviors such as the appreciation of objects and their qualities, facial recognition and social communication. Most recently implicated as the limiting factor in the storage capacity of our visual working memory.

precuneus search for term

part of the medial section of the posterior parietal cortex

prefrontal cortex search for term

is the area of the brain at the very front of the frontal lobes. It is involved in "executive functions", such as working memory, decision-making, planning and judgment. Prefrontal regions appear to be particularly sensitive to the effects of aging. It is thought that the reduced ability to recall the context of memories that occurs with advancing age, is evidence that the prefrontal cortex is also critical for context processing - a process involved in many cognitive functions. A recent study has also revealed that emotional stimuli and attentional functions are integrated in a specific part of the prefrontal cortex - the anterior cingulate (located between the right and left halves).

premotor cortex search for term

is part of the motor cortex, located in the frontal lobe. It is adjacent to the primary motor area. It is located primarily in the precentral gyrus and caudal portions of the superior frontal gyrus and the middle frontal gyrus.

presupplementary motor area search for term

found in the medial frontal lobe, specifically in the anterior part of the medial premotor cortex, it receives input from the basal ganglia and cerebellum, and is implicated in visuo-motor associations.

primary motor cortex search for term

is in the precentral gyrus in the frontal lobe. It is one of three parts of the motor cortex, the others being the premotor cortex, and the supplementary motor cortex.

primary visual striate cortex search for term

is located largely on the medial surface of the occipital lobe. This is where visual images, having been dissected by the retina, begin to be reassembled for further processing (in adjacent areas).

putamen search for term

part of the basal ganglia; active during both procedural and declarative learning. (see left prefrontal cortex and left inferior parietal cortex)

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