Parietal, temporal, and occipital projections to cortex of the superior temporal sulcus in the rhesus monkey: a retrograde tracer study.

The afferent cortical connections of individual cytoarchitectonic areas within the superior temporal sulcus (STS) of the rhesus monkey were studied by retrograde tracer techniques, including double tracer experiments. Rostral superior temporal polysensory (STP) cortex (area TPO-1) receives input from the rostral superior temporal gyrus (STG), cortex of the circular sulcus, and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) (areas 35, TF, and TL). Mid-STP cortex (areas TPO-2 and -3) has input from the mid-STG, cortex of the mid-circular sulcus, caudal inferior parietal lobule (IPL), cingulate gyrus (areas, 23, 24, retrosplenial cortex), and mid-PHG (areas 28, TF, TH, and TL). Caudal STP cortex (area TPO-4) has afferent connections with the caudal STG, cortex of the caudal insula and caudal circular sulcus, caudal IPL, lower bank of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), medial parietal lobe, cingulate gyrus, and mid- and caudal PHG (areas TF, TH, TL; prostriate area). The most rostral cortex of the lower bank of the STS (areas TEa and TEm), a presumed visual association area, receives input from the rostral inferotemporal (IT) region; more caudal portions of areas TEa and TEm have afferent connections with the caudal IT region, PHG, preoccipital gyrus, and cortex of the lower bank of the IPS.