Normal Cortical

Anatomy

MGH
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School
NORMAL CORTICAL ANATOMY

Sagittal
Axial
Coronal
The Central Sulcus

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Sagittal
Neuroanatomy

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Superior frontal gyrus Cingulate sulcus
Marginal ramus of
Cingulate sulcus
Cingulate gyrus Paracentral lobule

Superior parietal lobule

Parietooccipital sulcus

Cuneus

Calcarine sulcus

Lingual gyrus

Subcallosal gyrus
Gyrus rectus Fastigium, fourth ventricle NP/MGH
 Superior frontal gyrus Cingulate sulcus Precentral gyrus
Marginal ramus of
Cingulate gyrus Central sulcus Cingulate sulcus

Superior parietal lobule

Precuneus

Parietooccipital sulcus

Cuneus

Calcarine sulcus

Frontomarginal gyrus
Lingual gyrus
Caudothallamic groove
Gyrus rectus NP/MGH
 Precentral sulcus
Central sulcus
Superior frontal gyrus
Marginal ramus of
Corona radiata
Cingulate sulcus

Superior parietal lobule

Precuneus

Parietooccipital sulcus

Calcarine sulcus

Lingual gyrus Inferior occipital gyrus

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 Central sulcus

Superior parietal lobule

Parietooccipital sulcus

Frontopolar gyrus

Frontomarginal gyrus Superior occipital gyrus

Middle occipital gyrus

Medial orbital gyrus

Posterior orbital gyrus Lingual gyrus Inferior occipital gyrus

Inferior temporal gyrus Temporal horn,

lateral ventricle NP/MGH
 Central sulcus

uperior Temporal gyrus

Middle Temporal gyrus

Inferior Temporal gyrus

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 Central sulcus Superior parietal
Inferior frontal gyrus gyrus

Frontomarginal gyrus

Anterior orbital gyrus

Superior occipital
gyrus

Posterior orbital gyrus Middle occipital

gyrus

Superior Temporal
gyrus
Inferior occipital
gyrus
Middle Temporal gyrus
Inferior Temporal gyrus Lingual gyrus

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 Precentral sulcus

Superior frontal sulcus

Central sulcus
Postcentral sulcus
Lateral fissure,
Inferior frontal gyrus, posterior segment
pars triangularis

Inferior frontal gyrus, Angular gyrus

pars orbitalis

Superior Temporal gyrus

Superior Temporal sulcus Middle occipital gyrus
Middle Temporal gyrus
Inferior Temporal gyrus Anterior occipital sulcus

Inferior occipital gyrus

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Axial
Neuroanatomy

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 Fusiform gyrus

Superior Temporal gyrus

Middle Temporal gyrus

Inferior Temporal gyrus

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 Parahippocampal gyrus

Superior Temporal gyrus

Middle Temporal gyrus

Inferior Temporal gyrus

Hippocampal gyrus

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 Amygdala Hippocampus

Superior Temporal gyrus

Middle Temporal gyrus

Temporo-occipital fissure

Inferior occipital gyrus

Inferior Temporal gyrus

Gyrus descendens
Lingual gyrus

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 Gyrus rectus

Medial orbital gyrus Olfactory sulcus

Subcallosal gyrus
Posterior orbital gyrus

Superior Temporal gyrus

Amygdala

Middle Temporal gyrus Hippocampus

Inferior Temporal gyrus

Temporo-occipital fissure

Middle occipital gyrus

Gyrus descendens
Lingual gyrus NP/MGH
 Gyrus rectus

Olfactory sulcus Medial orbital gyrus

Anterior orbital gyrus

Superior Temporal gyrus

Posterior orbital gyrus

Middle Temporal gyrus Parahippocampal gyrus

Lingual gyrus
Temporo-occipital fissure

Calcarine sulcus
Middle occipital gyrus
Gyrus descendens Cuneus Intra-occipital sulcus
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 Frontomarginal gyrus
Superior frontal gyrus

Anterior orbital gyrus

Posterior orbital gyrus

Cingulate gyrus

Middle occipital gyrus

Intra-occipital sulcus Superior occipital gyrus
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 Superior frontal gyrus Middle frontal gyrus

Inferior frontal gyrus,

pars orbitalis

Lateral fissure

Inferior frontal gyrus,

pars opercularis

Inferior parietal gyrus Insula

Lateral fissure
Cingulate gyrus
Superior temporal gyrus
Parieto-occipital fissure
Superior temporal sulcus

Middle temporal gyrus Calcarine sulcus

Middle occipital gyrus Cuneus

Superior occipital gyrus
Intra-occipital sulcus
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 Superior frontal gyrus
Middle frontal gyrus

Inferior frontal gyrus

Central sulcus Postcentral gyrus

Lateral fissure Inferior parietal gyrus

Superior temporal gyrus Lateral fissure

Superior temporal sulcus

Middle occipital gyrus

Intra-occipital sulcus Parieto-occipital sulcus

Superior occipital gyrus
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 Precentral sulcus

Precentral gyrus

Central sulcus Central sulcus

Middle occipital gyrus Cuneus

Intra-occipital sulcus
Superior occipital gyrus NP/MGH
 Superior frontal gyrus

Middle frontal gyrus

Superior frontal sulcus

Inferior frontal gyrus

Centrum semiovale

Central sulcus
Central sulcus

Postcentral sulcus
Postcentral sulcus

Supramarginal gyrus
Intraparietal sulcus

Angular gyrus

Parietooccipital sulcus Superior parietal gyrus

Precuneus NP/MGH
 Superior frontal gyrus

Middle frontal gyrus

Superior frontal sulcus

Central sulcus Central sulcus

Supramarginal gyrus
Postcentral sulcus

Intraparietal sulcus
Angular gyrus

Pars marginalis
Intraparietal sulcus
Superior parietal gyrus

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 Superior frontal gyrus

Middle frontal gyrus

Superior frontal sulcus

Precentral gyrus
Precentral sulcus

Central sulcus
Postcentral gyrus

Postcentral sulcus

Supramarginal gyrus Intraparietal sulcus

Angular gyrus
Pars marginalis

Superior parietal gyrus

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 Superior frontal gyrus

Superior frontal sulcus

Middle frontal gyrus

Precentral sulcus

Central sulcus
Precuneus
Postcentral sulcus

Paracentral lobule

Superior parietal gyrus

Intraparietal sulcus
Pars marginalis

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Coronal
Neuroanatomy

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Interhemispheric Fissure
Superior Frontal gyrus
Inferior Frontal gyrus

Middle Frontal gyrus

Inferior Frontal gyrus

Gyrus rectus
Medial Orbital gyrus

Olfactory bulb

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 Superior Frontal gyrus
Forceps Superior Frontal sulcus
minor

Middle Frontal gyrus

Inferior Frontal gyrus

Lateral orbital sulcus

Medial Orbital gyrus Gyrus rectus

Anterior Orbital gyrus
Lateral orbital gyrus Olfactory Sulcus
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 Circular insular sulcus Cingulate gyrus Superior Frontal gyrus
Middle Frontal gyrus

short insular gyrus Inferior Frontal sulcus

Inferior Frontal gyrus

pars opercularis

Sylvian Fissure

Posterior Orbital gyrus

Middle Temporal gyrus Olfactory Sulcus

Superior Temporal gyrus Medial Orbital gyrus

Inferior Temporal gyrus Gyrus rectus NP/MGH
 Superior Frontal gyrus
Superior Frontal sulcus Cingulate sulcus

Middle Frontal gyrus

Precentral sulcus

Precentral gyrus

Sylvian Fissure

Superior Temporal gyrus

Superior Temporal Sulcus

Middle Temporal gyrus

Amygdala
Inferior Temporal gyrus
Anterior commissure NP/MGH
 Superior Frontal Superior Frontal gyrus
sulcus
Cingulate gyrus
Middle Frontal gyrus
Precentral sulcus

Precentral gyrus

Sylvian Fissure

Superior Temporal gyrus

Superior Temporal Sulcus

Heschls gyrus Middle Temporal gyrus

Inferior Temporal sulcus

Ambient gyrus

Entorhinal area Amygdala Inferior Temporal gyrus NP/MGH

 Superior Frontal gyrus

Middle Frontal gyrus

Central Sulcus

Superior Temporal gyrus

Hippocampus

Middle Temporal gyrus

Inferior Temporal gyrus

Parahippocampal gyrus CA1, cornu ammonis Fusiform gyrus

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 Postcentral gyrus Paracentral lobule Intraparietal sulcus
Intraparietal sulcus Central Sulcus Cingulate gyrus

Supramarginal gyrus

Superior Temporal gyrus

Middle Temporal gyrus

Inferior Temporal gyrus

Fusiform gyrus
Collateral sulcus
Parahippocampal gyrus NP/MGH
 Paracentral lobule
Central sulcus

Superior Temporal gyrus

Middle Temporal gyrus

Inferior temporal gyrus

Fusiform gyrus
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 Paracentral lobule

Postcentral gyrus Central sulcus

Intraparietal sulcus

Supramarginal gyrus

Middle temporal gyrus

Inferior temporal gyrus

Fusiform gyrus Calcarine sulcus Cingulate gyrus

Lingual gyrus
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 Superior parietal lobule
precuneus

Cingulate gyrus Inferior parietal lobule

Lingual gyrus
Middle occipital gyrus
Calcarine sulcus

Collateral sulcus

Fusiform gyrus Inferior occipital

gyrus

Lingual gyrus Tentorium cerebelli

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The Central Sulcus

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The Central Sulcus (CS)*
superior frontal sulcus - pre CS sign
sigmoidal Hook sign
pars bracket sign
Bifid post-CS sign
thin postcentral gyrus sign
intraparital sulcus - post-CS
midline sulcus sign

*Naidich & Brightbill. Int J Neurorad 1996;2:313-338

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 The Central Sulcus (CS)
Superior frontal sulcus - preCS sign
the posterior end of the superior frontal sulcus
joins the precentral sulcus in 85%
Superior frontal gyrus

Superior frontal sulcus

Superior frontal
sulcus

Precentral sulcus

Precentral sulcus

Precentral gyrus Precentral gyrus Central sulcus NP/MGH

 The Central Sulcus (CS)
Sigmoid Hook
hooklike configuration
of the posterior
Precentral sulcus
surface of the
precentral gyrus
the hook
corresponds to the
motor hand area.
The hook is well
seen on CT (89%)
and MRI (98%).

Central sulcus
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The Central Sulcus (CS)
Precentral gyrus
pars bracket sign
Superior frontal
The paired pars sulcus

marginalis form a
bracket to each Precentral sulcus
side of the
interhemispheric
fissure at or behind
the central sulcus Central sulcus

(96%).

Pars bracket Paracentral lobule

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The Central Sulcus (CS)
Precentral gyrus
pars bracket sign
Superior frontal
sulcus

Precentral sulcus

Central sulcus

Pars bracket Pars bracket NP/MGH

 The Central Sulcus (CS)
Bifid post-CS sign
the post-CS is bifid (85%).
The bifid post-CS encloses the lateral end of the
pars marginalis (88%).

Precentral sulcus

Central sulcus

Precentral gyrus
Postcentral sulcus

Pars bracket NP/MGH

Central sulcus Central sulcus Central sulcus

Postcentral sulcus Postcentral sulcus

Postcentral sulcus

Pars bracket Pars bracket

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The Central Sulcus (CS)
Precentral gyrus

Thin post-CG sign

the postcentral gyrus is
thinner than the precentral
gyrus (98%).

Postcentral gyrus

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 The Central Sulcus (CS)
Intraparietal Sulcus (IPS) and the post-CS
in axial MRI, the IPS intersects the post-CS (99%).

Postcentral sulcus

IPS

IPS

Pars bracket Pars bracket NP/MGH

 IPS
IPS IPS
Postcentral sulcus
Postcentral sulcus Postcentral sulcus

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The Central Sulcus (CS)
Superior frontal gyrus

Midline Sulcus sign

the most prominent Superior frontal
sulcus
convexity sulcus that
reaches the midline
interhemispheric
fissure is the CS
(70%).

Precentral sulcus

Precentral gyrus
Central sulcus
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The Central Sulcus (CS)

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 The Central Sulcus (CS)

SFS-preCS sign

Hook sign
Thin postcentral
gyrus sign

Bifid post-CS sign

IPS - postCS sign
Pars bracket sign NP/MGH