Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex — Function, Location & Quiz
Dorsal posterior parietal cortex helps direct attention toward a memory search, especially when retrieval is effortful. It is the active search side of the parietal-memory distinction, in contrast with ventral cortex being captured by content that has already returned.
Its response can also track graded familiarity, which makes it less all-or-none than vivid hippocampal recollection. Thinking in terms of control and evidence strength keeps these neighbouring parietal signals from collapsing into one vague “memory area.”
Test this anatomy in the Brain Networks Quiz: Default Mode, Salience & More or explore it on the interactive 3D brain.
Where is the Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex located?
Top-down attentional control and effortful memory search.
What does the Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex do?
- Top-down attention during memory search — actively searching FOR memories
- Familiarity signaling — graded strength-of-memory signal
- Voluntary orienting of attention toward retrieval cues
Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex pathways and connections
- Dorsal PPC ↔ Prefrontal cortex (frontoparietal attention network — top-down control)
- Dorsal PPC ↔ Hippocampus (effortful memory search)
What happens when the Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex is damaged?
- Effortful memory search — more active when retrieval is difficult
- Part of dorsal attention network for voluntary attentional control
Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex key facts
Atlas category: cortical. Brodmann areas or landmark: BA 7 (superior parietal lobule) — dorsal parietal cortex.
- Dorsal PPC = searching FOR memories (top-down). Ventral PPC = captured BY memories (bottom-up)
- Parallels the Corbetta & Shulman dorsal/ventral attention distinction but applied to memory
Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex exam tip
Dorsal PPC = actively searching FOR memories (top-down). Ventral PPC = attention captured BY memories (bottom-up).
Common questions
What does dorsal posterior parietal cortex do?
It supports voluntary, top-down attention during memory search and can represent graded familiarity or memory strength when retrieval is difficult.
Where is dorsal PPC located?
It is in superior posterior parietal cortex, associated particularly with the superior parietal lobule and Brodmann area 7.
How is dorsal PPC different from ventral PPC?
Dorsal PPC helps search for memories under top-down control. Ventral PPC responds when recollected information captures attention from the bottom up.