Angular gyrus: an anatomical case study for association cortex

The angular gyrus is associated with a spectrum of higher order cognitive functions. This mini-review undertakes a broad survey of putative neuroanatomical substrates, guided by the premise that area-specific specializations derive from a combination of extrinsic connections and intrinsic area properties. Three levels of spatial resolution are discussed: cellular, supracellular connectivity, and synaptic micro-scale, with examples necessarily drawn mainly from experimental work with nonhuman primates. A significant factor in the functional specialization of the human parietal cortex is the pronounced enlargement. In addition to more cells, synapses, and connections, however, the heterogeneity itself can be considered an important property. Multiple anatomical features support the idea of overlapping and temporally dynamic membership in several brain wide subnetworks, but how these features operate in the context of higher cognitive functions remains for continued investigations.

Automated summary

This article reviews the association between the angular gyrus and higher order cognitive functions, and discusses its neuroanatomical substrates, focusing on the reasons and characteristics of area-specific specializations. The study finds that the angular gyrus has different levels of spatial resolution at the cellular level, and the pronounced enlargement of the human parietal cortex plays an important role in functional specialization. However, further investigations are needed to understand how the multiple anatomical features of the angular gyrus operate in higher cognitive functions.