Postcentral gyrus

Postcentral gyrus is a prominent structure in the human brain, located in the parietal lobe. It is the main site of the primary somatosensory cortex, the main sensory receptive area for the sense of touch.

Anatomy

The postcentral gyrus is located in the posterior region of the frontal lobe, immediately posterior to the central sulcus. It is surrounded by the precentral gyrus to the front, the parietal lobe to the back, and the lateral sulcus to the side.

Function

The primary function of the postcentral gyrus is to process somatosensory information. It is involved in the detection of touch, proprioception (the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body), and temperature. Damage to the postcentral gyrus can result in a loss of these sensations.

Clinical significance

Damage to the postcentral gyrus can result in a condition known as agnosia, which is the inability to recognize objects, persons, sounds, shapes, or smells. Other conditions that can result from damage to this area include astereognosis, which is the inability to identify an object by active touch of the hands without other sensory input, and hemispatial neglect, which is the inability to attend or respond to stimuli in the contralesional visual field.

See also

• Brain
• Cerebral cortex
• Sensory system

References

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  Gray's Anatomy illustration of the postcentral gyrus
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