Left Planum Temporale Volume Reduction in Schizophrenia

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Abstract
THE PLANUM temporale (PT) is located on the posterosuperior surface of the temporal lobe. This brain region is of particular interest because it evinces the most left-right asymmetry in the human brain (left>right in two thirds of all brains).1-3 The left PT is within Wernicke's area, which is critical for language and speech production.4 Moreover, left PT is linked to handedness and, among musicians, to perfect pitch perception.5-7 Of note, PT asymmetry is apparent by the 29th to 31st weeks of gestation, and thus abnormalities in this brain region may suggest a disruption of neurodevelopmental processes involved in hemispheric lateralization.8 Finally, phylogenetically, PT asymmetry first appears in higher nonhuman primates (chimpanzees) and increases in the human brain, suggesting a possible link with the evolution of language.9