Inferior temporal gyrus

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The inferior temporal gyrus is the most ventral of the three gyri on the lateral surface of the temporal lobe.

Gross anatomy

The inferior temporal gyrus is bounded above by the inferior temporal sulcus and below by the lateral occipitotemporal sulcus  (which sits on the inferior surface of the temporal lobe). Its anterior and posterior limits are defined similar to the middle temporal gyrus .

Blood supply

The inferior temporal gyrus is supplied by all four temporal branches of the middle cerebral artery that emerge from the lateral sulcus .

Function

A Japanese fMRI study found that the left posterior inferior temporal gyrus played a role in the writing of Kanji (logogram) and, by extension, other non-alphabetical languages .

Related pathology

Lesions of the posterior inferior temporal gyrus result in agraphia of logographic writing systems, e.g. Kanji, Chinese characters .