PIGMENT ARCHITECTURE OF HUMAN TEMPORAL-LOBE

The areas of the human temporal lobe have been examined by means of stereomicroscopical observations of 800 μm thick pigment preparations. Most of the various allocortical and isocortical layers are characteristically pigmented and can be distinguished from one another. Anteromedial parts of the temporal lobe are occupied by different fields which are entirely composed of allocortical laminae. These allocortical core fields clearly influence a widespread transitional region adjacent to it. Since some of the allocortical laminae tend to transgress the limits of their parent fields, the immediately following areas reveal a mixed composition of both allocortical and isocortical laminae. These areas together form the periallocortical belt region which is particularly expanded anteromedially but becomes elongated and attenuated posterolaterally. The neighbouring isocortex can be divided into a marginal zone adjoining the periallocortical belt (proisocortex) and the mature isocortex (sensu stricto). Pigment preparations reveal clear structural differences between the cortex covering the superior temporal gyrus and that spreading over the subjacent convolutions. The isocortex of the superior temporal gyrus is mainly composed of the granulous core field, the proconiocortical and paraconiocortical areas, and the laterally extended magnopyramidal fields. The subjacent convolutions are occupied by two richly pigmented and extended areas, the posterior one of which shows a remarkable narrow light stripe within the lower reaches of the pyramidal layer (area temporalis stratiformis). © 1978 Springer-Verlag.