Associated Functions

• Language
• Semantic categorization (Left) (15993766, 11099727)
• Word retrieval (Left) (12953304)
• Attention to semantic relations (Left) (12457755)
• Word generation (Left) (9710491)
• Sign language (9222174)
• Single letter processing (Left) (15006649)
• Metaphor comprehension (Left) (15268917)
• Orthography-phonology link (Left) (15091345)
• Memory
• True and false memory recognition (15156146)
• Episodic encoding (11522964)
• Visual 
• Face recognition (mostly fusiform gyrus) (12880816, 15268916, 8126548)
• Visual motion processing (11907693, 7807222, 11954059)
• Visual fixation (15548215)
• Structural judgments of familiar objects (15714895)
• Sustained attention to color and shape (9497430)
• Other
• Face-name association (Left) (11257289)
• Attribution of intentions to others (10679187)
• Deductive reasoning (Left) (9869705)
• Drawing (16944477)
• Motion aftereffect (10725183)

Reviewer's note

It is well known that BA37 is involved in lexico-semantic associations (i.e., associated words with visual percepts).  Clinical observations have demonstrated that damage in the left BA37 usually results in word-finding difficulties and semantic paraphasias. Therefore, it is not unexpected that functional studies have found that left BA37 participates in semantic categorization, word retrieval, word generation, face-name association, and attention to semantic relations. Its participation in sign language is not unexpected either, as well as  BA37 participation in some aspects of reading (e.g., single letter processing and orthography-phonology link), because visual-language associations are involved. The basal aspect of BA37 corresponds to the fusiform gyrus, which is indeed an extension of the visual association areas, and has visual functions. Hence, BA37 involvement in complex visual functions, such as face recognition, and structural judgment of familiar objects is not surprising. It is known that prosopagnosia (acquired inability to recognize faces) is the result of brain pathology involving the right fusiform gyrus (temporal-occipital) or both fusiform gyri. BA37 seems to be also participating in some memory circuitries, particularly when visual information is involved. In the experiments about “attribution of intentions”  there is a complex pattern of brain activation, and BA37 involvement may be tangential. Deductive reasoning studies have shown a complex brain network responsible for this particular executive function, including BA21/22/24/32/37/45/46/47; BA37 activation (as well as the activation of other language-related areas) is simply supporting the linguistic underlying nature of the task. Disturbances in drawing (constructional apraxia, or simply visuoconstructive disorder) are observed in cases of right hemisphere pathology, and according to fMRI studies, drawing activates right BA37.

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