Brain Advance Access originally published online on January 6, 2006
Brain 2006 129(3):564-583; doi:10.1093/brain/awl004
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Review Article |
The precuneus: a review of its functional anatomy and behavioural correlates
1 Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK and 2 Department of Neurology, Amedeo Avogadro University, Novara, Italy
Correspondence to: Michael R. Trimble, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N3BG, UK E-mail: prof{at}mtrimble.wanadoo.co.uk
Functional neuroimaging studies have started unravelling unexpected functional attributes for the posteromedial portion of the parietal lobe, the precuneus. This cortical area has traditionally received little attention, mainly because of its hidden location and the virtual absence of focal lesion studies. However, recent functional imaging findings in healthy subjects suggest a central role for the precuneus in a wide spectrum of highly integrated tasks, including visuo-spatial imagery, episodic memory retrieval and self-processing operations, namely first-person perspective taking and an experience of agency. Furthermore, precuneus and surrounding posteromedial areas are amongst the brain structures displaying the highest resting metabolic rates (hot spots) and are characterized by transient decreases in the tonic activity during engagement in non-self-referential goal-directed actions (default mode of brain function). Therefore, it has recently been proposed that precuneus is involved in the interwoven network of the neural correlates of self-consciousness, engaged in self-related mental representations during rest. This hypothesis is consistent with the selective hypometabolism in the posteromedial cortex reported in a wide range of altered conscious states, such as sleep, drug-induced anaesthesia and vegetative states. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of precuneus, together with its wide-spread connectivity with both cortical and subcortical structures, as shown by connectional and neurophysiological findings in non-human primates, and links these notions with the multifaceted spectrum of its behavioural correlates. By means of a critical analysis of precuneus activation patterns in response to different mental tasks, this paper provides a useful conceptual framework for matching the functional imaging findings with the specific role(s) played by this structure in the higher-order cognitive functions in which it has been implicated. Specifically, activation patterns appear to converge with anatomical and connectivity data in providing preliminary evidence for a functional subdivision within the precuneus into an anterior region, involved in self-centred mental imagery strategies, and a posterior region, subserving successful episodic memory retrieval.
Key Words: precuneus; medial parietal cortex; visuo-spatial imagery; episodic memory; consciousness
Abbreviations: BA = Brodmann area; fMRI = functional MRI; IPS = intraparietal sulcus; rCBF = regional cerebral blood flow; SPL = superior parietal lobule
Received June 15, 2005. Revised December 1, 2005. Accepted December 5, 2005.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. Silva, X. Alacoque, O. Fourcade, K. Samii, P. Marque, R. Woods, J. Mazziotta, F. Chollet, and I. Loubinoux Wakefulness and loss of awareness: Brain and brainstem interaction in the vegetative state Neurology, January 26, 2010; 74(4): 313 - 320. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. P. Coxon, D. J. Goble, A. Van Impe, J. De Vos, N. Wenderoth, and S. P. Swinnen Reduced Basal Ganglia Function When Elderly Switch between Coordinated Movement Patterns Cereb Cortex, January 15, 2010; (2010) bhp306v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Vanhaudenhuyse, Q. Noirhomme, L. J.-F. Tshibanda, M.-A. Bruno, P. Boveroux, C. Schnakers, A. Soddu, V. Perlbarg, D. Ledoux, J.-F. Brichant, et al. Default network connectivity reflects the level of consciousness in non-communicative brain-damaged patients Brain, January 1, 2010; 133(1): 161 - 171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. M. Demorest, S. J. Morrison, L. A. Stambaugh, M. Beken, T. L. Richards, and C. Johnson An fMRI investigation of the cultural specificity of music memory Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, December 24, 2009; (2009) nsp048v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Cardin and A. T. Smith Sensitivity of Human Visual and Vestibular Cortical Regions to Egomotion-Compatible Visual Stimulation Cereb Cortex, December 24, 2009; (2009) bhp268v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W.B. Groen, C. Tesink, K.M. Petersson, J. van Berkum, R.J. van der Gaag, P. Hagoort, and J.K. Buitelaar Semantic, Factual, and Social Language Comprehension in Adolescents with Autism: An FMRI Study Cereb Cortex, December 16, 2009; (2009) bhp264v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. K. Johnson, S. Nolen-Hoeksema, K. J. Mitchell, and Y. Levin Medial cortex activity, self-reflection and depression Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, December 1, 2009; 4(4): 313 - 327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Righart, F. Andersson, S. Schwartz, E. Mayer, and P. Vuilleumier Top-Down Activation of Fusiform Cortex without Seeing Faces in Prosopagnosia Cereb Cortex, November 25, 2009; (2009) bhp254v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. S. Margulies, J. L. Vincent, C. Kelly, G. Lohmann, L. Q. Uddin, B. B. Biswal, A. Villringer, F. X. Castellanos, M. P. Milham, and M. Petrides Precuneus shares intrinsic functional architecture in humans and monkeys PNAS, November 24, 2009; 106(47): 20069 - 20074. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Esterman, Y.-C. Chiu, B. J. Tamber-Rosenau, and S. Yantis Decoding cognitive control in human parietal cortex PNAS, October 20, 2009; 106(42): 17974 - 17979. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. E. V. Foster and R. J. Zatorre A Role for the Intraparietal Sulcus in Transforming Musical Pitch Information Cereb Cortex, September 29, 2009; (2009) bhp199v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Christakou, M. Brammer, V. Giampietro, and K. Rubia Right Ventromedial and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortices Mediate Adaptive Decisions under Ambiguity by Integrating Choice Utility and Outcome Evaluation J. Neurosci., September 2, 2009; 29(35): 11020 - 11028. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Di Martino, Z. Shehzad, C. Kelly, A. K. Roy, D. G. Gee, L. Q. Uddin, K. Gotimer, D. F. Klein, F. X. Castellanos, and M. P. Milham Relationship Between Cingulo-Insular Functional Connectivity and Autistic Traits in Neurotypical Adults Am J Psychiatry, August 1, 2009; 166(8): 891 - 899. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. K. Simmons, M. Reddish, P. S. F. Bellgowan, and A. Martin The Selectivity and Functional Connectivity of the Anterior Temporal Lobes Cereb Cortex, July 20, 2009; (2009) bhp149v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. K. Bickel, J. A. Pitcock, R. Yi, and E. J. C. Angtuaco Congruence of BOLD Response across Intertemporal Choice Conditions: Fictive and Real Money Gains and Losses J. Neurosci., July 8, 2009; 29(27): 8839 - 8846. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y.-Y. Tang, Y. Ma, Y. Fan, H. Feng, J. Wang, S. Feng, Q. Lu, B. Hu, Y. Lin, J. Li, et al. Central and autonomic nervous system interaction is altered by short-term meditation PNAS, June 2, 2009; 106(22): 8865 - 8870. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
U. Schjoedt, H. Stodkilde-Jorgensen, A. W. Geertz, and A. Roepstorff Highly religious participants recruit areas of social cognition in personal prayer Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2009; 4(2): 199 - 207. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. L. Masten, N. I. Eisenberger, L. A. Borofsky, J. H. Pfeifer, K. McNealy, J. C. Mazziotta, and M. Dapretto Neural correlates of social exclusion during adolescence: understanding the distress of peer rejection Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2009; 4(2): 143 - 157. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y.-H. Kim, W.-K. Yoo, M.-H. Ko, C.-h. Park, Sung Tae Kim, and D. L. Na Plasticity of the Attentional Network After Brain Injury and Cognitive Rehabilitation Neurorehabil Neural Repair, June 1, 2009; 23(5): 468 - 477. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Lenzi, C. Trentini, P. Pantano, E. Macaluso, M. Iacoboni, G.L. Lenzi, and M. Ammaniti Neural Basis of Maternal Communication and Emotional Expression Processing during Infant Preverbal Stage Cereb Cortex, May 1, 2009; 19(5): 1124 - 1133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W.-J. Kuo, T. Sjostrom, Y.-P. Chen, Y.-H. Wang, and C.-Y. Huang Intuition and Deliberation: Two Systems for Strategizing in the Brain Science, April 24, 2009; 324(5926): 519 - 522. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Sterpenich, G. Albouy, A. Darsaud, C. Schmidt, G. Vandewalle, T. T. Dang Vu, M. Desseilles, C. Phillips, C. Degueldre, E. Balteau, et al. Sleep Promotes the Neural Reorganization of Remote Emotional Memory J. Neurosci., April 22, 2009; 29(16): 5143 - 5152. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Kapogiannis, A. K. Barbey, M. Su, G. Zamboni, F. Krueger, and J. Grafman Cognitive and neural foundations of religious belief PNAS, March 24, 2009; 106(12): 4876 - 4881. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Dohle, J. Pullen, A. Nakaten, J. Kust, C. Rietz, and H. Karbe Mirror Therapy Promotes Recovery From Severe Hemiparesis: A Randomized Controlled Trial Neurorehabil Neural Repair, March 1, 2009; 23(3): 209 - 217. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Gong, Y. He, L. Concha, C. Lebel, D. W. Gross, A. C. Evans, and C. Beaulieu Mapping Anatomical Connectivity Patterns of Human Cerebral Cortex Using In Vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging Tractography Cereb Cortex, March 1, 2009; 19(3): 524 - 536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Caeyenberghs, N. Wenderoth, B. C. M. Smits-Engelsman, S. Sunaert, and S. P. Swinnen Neural correlates of motor dysfunction in children with traumatic brain injury: exploration of compensatory recruitment patterns Brain, March 1, 2009; 132(3): 684 - 694. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Bedard and J. N. Sanes Gaze and Hand Position Effects on Finger-Movement-Related Human Brain Activation J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2009; 101(2): 834 - 842. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Nioche, E.A. Cabanis, and C. Habas Functional Connectivity of the Human Red Nucleus in the Brain Resting State at 3T AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., February 1, 2009; 30(2): 396 - 403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Horn, A. Federspiel, M. Wirth, T. J. Muller, R. Wiest, J.-J. Wang, and W. Strik Structural and metabolic changes in language areas linked to formal thought disorder The British Journal of Psychiatry, February 1, 2009; 194(2): 130 - 138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Garibotto, B. Borroni, E. Kalbe, K. Herholz, E. Salmon, V. Holtoff, S. Sorbi, S. F. Cappa, A. Padovani, F. Fazio, et al. Education and occupation as proxies for reserve in aMCI converters and AD: FDG-PET evidence Neurology, October 21, 2008; 71(17): 1342 - 1349. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Z. J. Chen, Y. He, P. Rosa-Neto, J. Germann, and A. C. Evans Revealing Modular Architecture of Human Brain Structural Networks by Using Cortical Thickness from MRI Cereb Cortex, October 1, 2008; 18(10): 2374 - 2381. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Nolen-Hoeksema, B. E. Wisco, and S. Lyubomirsky Rethinking Rumination Perspectives on Psychological Science, September 1, 2008; 3(5): 400 - 424. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Scheperjans, S. B. Eickhoff, L. Homke, H. Mohlberg, K. Hermann, K. Amunts, and K. Zilles Probabilistic Maps, Morphometry, and Variability of Cytoarchitectonic Areas in the Human Superior Parietal Cortex Cereb Cortex, September 1, 2008; 18(9): 2141 - 2157. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Kovacs, M. Raabe, and M. W. Greenlee Neural Correlates of Visually Induced Self-Motion Illusion in Depth Cereb Cortex, August 1, 2008; 18(8): 1779 - 1787. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Takahashi, K. Ohki, and D.-S. Kim Dissociated Pathways for Successful Memory Retrieval from the Human Parietal Cortex: Anatomical and Functional Connectivity Analyses Cereb Cortex, August 1, 2008; 18(8): 1771 - 1778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. N. Ochsner, J. Zaki, J. Hanelin, D. H. Ludlow, K. Knierim, T. Ramachandran, G. H. Glover, and S. C. Mackey Your pain or mine? Common and distinct neural systems supporting the perception of pain in self and other Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2008; 3(2): 144 - 160. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. P. Kennedy and E. Courchesne Functional abnormalities of the default network during self- and other-reflection in autism Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2008; 3(2): 177 - 190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Scheperjans, K. Hermann, S. B. Eickhoff, K. Amunts, A. Schleicher, and K. Zilles Observer-Independent Cytoarchitectonic Mapping of the Human Superior Parietal Cortex Cereb Cortex, April 1, 2008; 18(4): 846 - 867. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. D. Rosas, D. H. Salat, S. Y. Lee, A. K. Zaleta, V. Pappu, B. Fischl, D. Greve, N. Hevelone, and S. M. Hersch Cerebral cortex and the clinical expression of Huntington's disease: complexity and heterogeneity Brain, April 1, 2008; 131(4): 1057 - 1068. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. L. Miller, K. Celone, K. DePeau, E. Diamond, B. C. Dickerson, D. Rentz, M. Pihlajamaki, and R. A. Sperling Age-related memory impairment associated with loss of parietal deactivation but preserved hippocampal activation PNAS, February 12, 2008; 105(6): 2181 - 2186. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Beeli, M. Esslen, and L. Jancke Time Course of Neural Activity Correlated with Colored-Hearing Synesthesia Cereb Cortex, February 1, 2008; 18(2): 379 - 385. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. M. Daselaar, H. J. Rice, D. L. Greenberg, R. Cabeza, K. S. LaBar, and D. C. Rubin The Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Autobiographical Memory: Neural Correlates of Recall, Emotional Intensity, and Reliving Cereb Cortex, January 1, 2008; 18(1): 217 - 229. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. E. Berryhill, L. Phuong, L. Picasso, R. Cabeza, and I. R. Olson Parietal Lobe and Episodic Memory: Bilateral Damage Causes Impaired Free Recall of Autobiographical Memory J. Neurosci., December 26, 2007; 27(52): 14415 - 14423. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. De Ridder, K. Van Laere, P. Dupont, T. Menovsky, and P. Van de Heyning Visualizing Out-of-Body Experience in the Brain N. Engl. J. Med., November 1, 2007; 357(18): 1829 - 1833. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. K. Rilling, S. K. Barks, L. A. Parr, T. M. Preuss, T. L. Faber, G. Pagnoni, J. D. Bremner, and J. R. Votaw A comparison of resting-state brain activity in humans and chimpanzees PNAS, October 23, 2007; 104(43): 17146 - 17151. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Jubault, C. Ody, and E. Koechlin Serial Organization of Human Behavior in the Inferior Parietal Cortex J. Neurosci., October 10, 2007; 27(41): 11028 - 11036. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Herde, C. Forster, M. Strupf, and H. O. Handwerker Itch Induced by a Novel Method Leads to Limbic Deactivations A Functional MRI Study J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2007; 98(4): 2347 - 2356. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. R. Petrella, L. Wang, S. Krishnan, M. J. Slavin, S. E. Prince, T.-T. T. Tran, and P. M. Doraiswamy Cortical Deactivation in Mild Cognitive Impairment: High-Field-Strength Functional MR Imaging Radiology, October 1, 2007; 245(1): 224 - 235. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Chaminade, J. Hodgins, and M. Kawato Anthropomorphism influences perception of computer-animated characters' actions Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, September 1, 2007; 2(3): 206 - 216. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. C. Perantie, J. Wu, J. M. Koller, A. Lim, S. L. Warren, K. J. Black, M. Sadler, N. H. White, and T. Hershey Regional Brain Volume Differences Associated With Hyperglycemia and Severe Hypoglycemia in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes Diabetes Care, September 1, 2007; 30(9): 2331 - 2337. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Takashima, I. L.C. Nieuwenhuis, M. Rijpkema, K. M. Petersson, O. Jensen, and G. Fernandez Memory trace stabilization leads to large-scale changes in the retrieval network: A functional MRI study on associative memory Learn. Mem., July 10, 2007; 14(7): 472 - 479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. F. Barrett, E. Bliss-Moreau, S. L. Duncan, S. L. Rauch, and C. I. Wright The amygdala and the experience of affect Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2007; 2(2): 73 - 83. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. K. Szpunar, J. M. Watson, and K. B. McDermott Neural substrates of envisioning the future PNAS, January 9, 2007; 104(2): 642 - 647. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R Perneczky, A Drzezga, J Diehl-Schmid, G Schmid, A Wohlschlager, S Kars, T Grimmer, S Wagenpfeil, A Monsch, and A Kurz Schooling mediates brain reserve in Alzheimer's disease: findings of fluoro-deoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, September 1, 2006; 77(9): 1060 - 1063. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. K. Johnson, C. L. Raye, K. J. Mitchell, S. R. Touryan, E. J. Greene, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema Dissociating medial frontal and posterior cingulate activity during self-reflection Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, June 1, 2006; 1(1): 56 - 64. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. P. Kennedy, E. Redcay, and E. Courchesne Failing to deactivate: Resting functional abnormalities in autism PNAS, May 23, 2006; 103(21): 8275 - 8280. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Insights into the Precuneus Journal Watch Neurology, May 4, 2006; 2006(504): 8 - 8. [Full Text]
|
|