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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.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

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 the...

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Brain Imaging

Brain Imaging

Brain imaging technologies provide critical insights into both the structure and function of the human brain, enabling medical professionals and researchers to diagnose, study, and treat neurological disorders or psychiatric disorders more effectively.
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example

Published on: October 24, 2012

Multisensory interactions within human primary cortices revealed by BOLD dynamics.

Roberto Martuzzi¹, Micah M Murray, Christoph M Michel

¹Service de Radiodiagnostic et Radiologie Interventionnelle, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland. roberto@martuzzi@chuv.ch

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)

|September 14, 2006

Summary

Multisensory signals converge in primary sensory cortices. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reveals auditory-visual interactions, challenging traditional brain organization models.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory Processing
Brain Imaging

Background:

The convergence and interaction of sensory signals within primary cortices remain debated in humans.
Existing research in animal models suggests cross-modal interactions, but human evidence is limited.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis methods for multisensory phenomena are under discussion.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate multisensory convergence and interaction within primary human sensory cortices.
To explore the role of temporal dynamics in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data for understanding cross-modal interactions.
To challenge and potentially revise traditional views of cortical organization.

Main Methods:

Utilized event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in human participants.
Presented simple auditory (noise bursts) and visual (checkerboards) stimuli, both individually and combined.
Analyzed blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response dynamics, including peak latencies and slopes.

Main Results:

Auditory stimuli activated primary visual cortices, and visual stimuli activated primary auditory cortices, indicating multisensory convergence.
Multisensory auditory-visual stimuli showed facilitated hemodynamic response peak latencies and slopes compared to unisensory stimuli.
These findings demonstrate multisensory interactions occurring at the primary cortical level.

Conclusions:

Neural processing in primary sensory cortices is modulated by interactions between different senses.
Temporal analysis of fMRI data can effectively reveal and overcome challenges in studying multisensory integration.
These results necessitate a revision of cortical organization models to include inherent multisensory interactions and provide a translational link with animal studies.