Pars Opercularis

The pars opercularis is situated in the inferior frontal gyrus of the frontal lobe, lying between the inferior precentral sulcus, the ascending ramus of the lateral sulcus, and the lateral sulcus. Thus, it occupies the posterior part of the inferior frontal gyrus. It is called opercularis because it covers part of the insula. The pars opercularis and the pars triangularis make up Broca's area. It has been postulated that abnormal blood flow in the Pars opercularis is an indicator for autism.

Electrical stimulation or damage to the pars opercularis interferes with language production. There is considerable variability in the shape and location of the pars opercularis across brains and between cerebral hemispheres, and there is no significant difference or correlation between left and right hemisphere grey matter volumes. There is also no significant difference between sex and side of asymmetry of the pars opercularis.