fusiform

[ fyoo-zuh-fawrm ]

adjective

1. spindle-shaped; rounded and tapering from the middle toward each end, as some roots.

fusiform

/ ˈfjuːzɪˌfɔːm /

adjective

1. elongated and tapering at both ends; spindle-shaped

Other Words From

• sub·fusi·form adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fusiform¹

1740–50; < Latin fūs ( us ) spindle + -i- + -form

Word History and Origins

Origin of fusiform¹

C18: from Latin fūsus spindle

Example Sentences

This analysis of 38 mother-infant pairs showed that infants of mothers who experienced discrimination generally had weaker connections between their amygdala and prefrontal cortex and infants of mothers who experienced acculturation stress had stronger connectivity between the amygdala and another brain region called the fusiform.

From Science Daily

Using a specialized device that translates images into sound, Georgetown University Medical Center neuroscientists and colleagues showed that people who are blind recognized basic faces using the part of the brain known as the fusiform face area, a region that is crucial for the processing of faces in sighted people.

From Science Daily

Paula Plaza, Ph.D., one of the lead authors of the study, who is now at Universidad Andres Bello, Chile, says, "Our study demonstrates that the fusiform face area encodes the 'concept' of a face regardless of input channel, or the visual experience, which is an important discovery."

From Science Daily

The scientists found that brain activation by sound in people who are blind was found primarily in the left fusiform face area while face processing in sighted people occurred mostly in the right fusiform face area.

From Science Daily

"We believe the left/right difference between people who are and aren't blind may have to do with how the left and right sides of the fusiform area processes faces -- either as connected patterns or as separate parts, which may be an important clue in helping us refine our sensory substitution device," says Rauschecker, who is also co-director of the Center for Neuroengineering at Georgetown University.

From Science Daily