Cingulate gyrus: anatomy, physiology and epileptic seizure

Abstract

The cingulate gyrus is crescent?shaped convolution on the medial surface of cerebral hemisphere between cingulate sulcus and corpus callosum. Cingulate gyrus is an integral component of the limbic system and Papez's circuit, including anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) middle cingulate cortex (MCC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). ACC have numerous functions: emotion, cognition, motor, visceromotor, maternal behavior and social activities. PCC is considered to be involved in visuospatial and memory function. ACC epilepsy is a peculiar epileptic syndrome with a broad range of clinical manifestations including blunting, hypermotor and postural tonic seizures, as well as autonomic symptoms and mood alteration. The manifestations of MCC epilepsy are tonic or clonic seizures on contralateral or bilateral extremities. PCC is semiologically on the silent area. Furthermore, the spread of seizure activity from this area to limbic network or other symptomatogenic areas can contribute to miscellaneous symptoms.

DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.05.004