Cytoarchitecture of the cerebral cortex--more than localization.
The present paper reviews that macroanatomical landmarks are problematic for a reliable and sufficiently precise localization of clusters of activation obtained by functional imaging because sulcal and gyral patterns are extremely variable and macroanatomical landmarks do not match (in nearly all cases) architectonically defined borders. It argues that cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps currently offer the most precise tool for the localization of brain functions as obtained from functional imaging studies. Finally, it provides some examples that cytoarchitecture is more than localization with respect to a particular brain region because it reflects the inner organization of cortical areas and, furthermore, functional principles of the brain.
Amunts
K
K
Institute of Neurosciences and Biophysics-Medicine (INB 3), Research Centre Juelich, 52428 Juelich, Germany. k.amunts@fz-juelich.de
Schleicher
A
A
Zilles
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008251:Macaca; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology