The border between perirhinal cortex area 36 (PER36) and the temporal cortex (Te) is not easily established from cytoarchitectonic features, and even histochemical criteria do not help much. In general, layer II of Te can be distinguished from PER36 because the cells in Te are more typically pyramid-shaped and usually more lightly stained; quite often layer II in Te is also thinner compared to layer II of PER36, particularly at more posterior levels. In addition, the overall appearance of layer V differs since in PER36 there is no cell-sparse gap on either side of layer V, as is sometimes observed in the dorsally located Te. Also layers V and VI of PER36 are narrower than in area Te. With an immunostain for parvalbumin, area Te expresses increased staining intensity when compared to PER36. This increased expression of parvalbumin reactivity coincides with a change in staining for calbindin: in PER36 this staining is present almost homogeneously throughout all layers whereas Te expresses a more distinct laminated pattern.
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