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Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
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Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

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Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...

Neuroplasticity

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Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

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The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Published on: January 22, 2018

Cortical rewiring and information storage.

D B Chklovskii¹, B W Mel, K Svoboda

¹Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbour, New York 11724, USA.

|October 16, 2004

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Long-term memory storage may involve changes in the brain's wiring diagram, not just connection strengths. This structural plasticity in the cortex could increase memory capacity but may require more complex biological processes.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Cellular Biology

Background:

Current models of long-term memory primarily focus on synaptic plasticity, the alteration of connection strengths between neurons.
The adult brain exhibits significant structural plasticity, involving changes in synapses, axons, and dendrites.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the hypothesis that long-term memory storage involves structural changes in the cortical 'wiring diagram' beyond synaptic strength modifications.
To consider the implications of structural plasticity for memory capacity and learning efficiency.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis integrating existing knowledge on synaptic plasticity and structural plasticity.
Theoretical modeling of cortical connectivity and information storage capacity.

Main Results:

Structural plasticity, including the formation and elimination of synapses and remodeling of neuronal processes, offers a potential mechanism for memory storage.
Changes in the cortical wiring diagram could significantly enhance the brain's memory storage capacity due to sparse connectivity.

Conclusions:

Learning-induced alterations in the cortical 'wiring diagram' represent a plausible, complementary mechanism for long-term memory formation.
While potentially increasing storage capacity, structural plasticity may involve more complex biological machinery and slower learning processes compared to synaptic plasticity alone.