precuneus

1 9.9

A part near the middle top of the brain that helps memory and imagining pictures

noun
/ˈpriːkjuːniəs/

Specialized

: precúneo

Researchers discovered that abnormalities in the precuneus are linked to difficulties in spatial awareness.
the left precuneus

Examples

With respect to metaphors only, controls clearly reacted more strongly than patients in the RH (more specifically, the right precuneus and right middle/superior temporal gyrus).

Academic text (2008)
They found what the researchers call "enhanced" connections, defined by several measures including the fractional anisotropy, or integrity, of the fibers, in the left precuneus, a region involved in episodic memory and visuospatial processing.

Blog text (21)
The bottom row shows that medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate/precuneus regions of the DMN differ in size and shape as a function of the CCA positive-negative mode.

Academic text (2018)
The precuneus is involved in processing visual information and is crucial for memory retrieval.
In studies of brain activity, the precuneus has shown increased activation during visual memory tasks.

Surface Forms

precuneus singular

precunei plural

Morphology

precuneus = cuneus (opaque) = pre + cuneus + pre

Although formed by a prefix added to 'cuneus', both parts are technical and not known to average learners, so the anatomical meaning is not derivable.

Etymology

Precuneus comes from Latin parts pre- 'before' and cuneus 'wedge'. It was named because it sits in front of a wedge-shaped area of the brain, so the name helps you remember that the precuneus is the small region just 'before the wedge' that helps with memory and visual images.