<p>The MTL consists of (note that some structures overlap):</p>

<ul>
<li>cortical areas, which can be categorized in at least three ways:
<ul>
<li>portions of two gyri
<ul>
<li>entire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parahippocampal_gyrus">parahippocampal gyrus</a></li>
<li>anterior medial side of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusiform_gyrus">fusiform gyrus</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li>five named cortical areas:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perirhinal_cortex">perirhinal cortex</a></li>
<li>parahippocampal cortex (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parahippocampal_gyrus">parahippocampal gyrus</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entorhinal_cortex">entorhinal cortex</a></li>
<li><a href="http://braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/CentralDirectory.aspx?ID=167&amp;questID=2302">presubiculum</a>*</li>
<li><a href="http://braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/CentralDirectory.aspx?ID=2304&amp;questID=2302">parasubiculum</a>*</li>
</ul></li>
<li>five <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodmann_area">Brodmann areas</a>: 27, 28, 34, 35, 36</li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus">hippocampus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdala">amygdala</a>*</li>
</ul>

<p>* indicates that not all literature includes this component in the MTL</p>

<p>I didn't find a diagram of only the MTL. The best diagrams I found were (not shown here because I don't own the copyright):</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0071402357/156721/figure350_1.gif">Figure 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://introspectional.com/section2/images/limbic3a.gif">Figure 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://neuropolitics.org/TemporalLobe.gif">Figure 3</a></li>
</ul>

<h3>References</h3>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li><p>Brodmann, K. (1909) Vergleichende Lokalisationslehre der Grosshirnrinde in ihren Prinzipien dargestellt auf Grund des
  Zellenbaues. Leipzig : Johann Ambrosius Barth.</p></li>
  <li><p>Squire, L.R., Stark, C.E.L., &amp; Clark, R.E. (2004) The Medial Temporal Lobe. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 27:279–306
  [<a href="http://whoville.ucsd.edu/PDFs/383_Squire_etal_%20AnnRevNeurosci2004.pdf">pdf</a>]</p></li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-03-29T21:25:40.500Z
2012-03-29T21:25:40.500Z
John Pick
<p>Basic question here from a behavioral researcher: What are the major structures of the medial temporal lobe (MTL)? Can anyone link to a good diagram of these structures?</p>

<neuroscience><neuroimaging>
What are the major structures of the medial temporal lobe?
Andy DeSoto
# What are the major structures of the medial temporal lobe?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-03-29)

Basic question here from a behavioral researcher: What are the major structures of the medial temporal lobe (MTL)? Can anyone link to a good diagram of these structures?

**Tags:** neuroscience, neuroimaging


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-03-29. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

The MTL consists of (note that some structures overlap):

* cortical areas, which can be categorized in at least three ways:
  + portions of two gyri
    - entire [parahippocampal gyrus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parahippocampal_gyrus)
    - anterior medial side of [fusiform gyrus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusiform_gyrus)
  + five named cortical areas:
    - [perirhinal cortex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perirhinal_cortex)
    - parahippocampal cortex (see [parahippocampal gyrus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parahippocampal_gyrus))
    - [entorhinal cortex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entorhinal_cortex)
    - [presubiculum](http://braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/CentralDirectory.aspx?ID=167&questID=2302)\*
    - [parasubiculum](http://braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/CentralDirectory.aspx?ID=2304&questID=2302)\*
  + five [Brodmann areas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodmann_area): 27, 28, 34, 35, 36
* [hippocampus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus)
* [amygdala](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdala)\*

\* indicates that not all literature includes this component in the MTL

I didn't find a diagram of only the MTL. The best diagrams I found were (not shown here because I don't own the copyright):

* [Figure 1](http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0071402357/156721/figure350_1.gif)
* [Figure 2](http://introspectional.com/section2/images/limbic3a.gif)
* [Figure 3](http://neuropolitics.org/TemporalLobe.gif)

### References

> * Brodmann, K. (1909) Vergleichende Lokalisationslehre der Grosshirnrinde in ihren Prinzipien dargestellt auf Grund des
>   Zellenbaues. Leipzig : Johann Ambrosius Barth.
> * Squire, L.R., Stark, C.E.L., & Clark, R.E. (2004) The Medial Temporal Lobe. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 27:279–306
>   [[pdf](http://whoville.ucsd.edu/PDFs/383_Squire_etal_%20AnnRevNeurosci2004.pdf)]


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