Brodmann area 18

Brodmann area 18, or BA18, is part of the occipital cortex in the human brain. It accounts for the bulk of the volume of the occipital lobe. It is known as a "Visual Association Area" and is responsible for the interpretation of images.

This area is also known as parastriate area 18. It is a subdivision of the cytoarchitecturally defined occipital region of cerebral cortex. In the human it is located in parts of the cuneus, the lingual gyrus and the lateral occipital gyrus (H) of the occipital lobe. It is bounded on one side by the Brodmann area 17, from which it is distinguished by absence of a band of Gennari, and on the other by the peristriate area 19 (Brodmann-1909).