Superior temporal sulcus
Sulcus temporalis superior
The long groove on the side of the temporal lobe between the superior and middle temporal gyri, a centre for voice, face and social perception.
At a glance
- English
- Superior temporal sulcus
- Latin (TA2)
- Sulcus temporalis superior
- System
- Brain and spinal cord
- Region
- Head
- Side
- Paired, left and right
About the superior temporal sulcus
The superior temporal sulcus runs along the lateral surface of the temporal lobe, roughly parallel to and below the lateral sulcus. It separates the superior temporal gyrus above from the middle temporal gyrus below. It begins near the temporal pole and runs back, deepening as it goes; at its back end it usually splits and turns up into the parietal lobe, where its ascending branch is capped by the angular gyrus. The sulcus is longer on the left and deeper on the right, an asymmetry that appears specific to humans.
The cortex lining its banks is a meeting place for hearing, vision and other senses. Its upper bank adjoins the auditory association cortex of the superior temporal gyrus, and its lower bank and floor receive visual signals from the occipital and inferior temporal cortex. Different stretches of the sulcus favour different kinds of input. The middle part responds strongly to human voices compared with other sounds; the posterior part responds to faces, to the direction of another person's gaze and to body movement.
Within language, the middle and posterior parts of the sulcus, mainly on the left, take part in recognising speech sounds, words and sentences and so belong to the ventral stream for speech understanding. The right side is more tuned to the identity of voices and the melody of speech. The sulcus is also active when deaf or hearing people perceive sign language.
Its posterior part on the right is a key node for social perception. It is engaged when people work out the intentions and beliefs of others, recognise facial expressions, follow where others are looking, read lips and combine a face with its voice. Altered activity in this region has been found in autism and in schizophrenia, and damage to the temporal cortex around the sulcus can cause disorders such as difficulty recognising familiar voices.
Function and supply
- Function
- Its cortex combines hearing and vision to recognise voices, speech, faces, gaze and body movement, and supports understanding the intentions of others.
- Blood supply
- Temporal branches of the middle cerebral artery.
Anthromica
See the superior temporal sulcus where it really sits, with every layer of the body around it.
- Every layer, one body. Peel from muscle to bone, nerve, vessel and organ, and turn it any way.
- English and Latin. Every structure named the way your exam names it.
- Quiz until it sticks. Short drills on the structures you keep missing.
Free to start. No card.
