Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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.

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,...

Somatosensation

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

In vivo biomarkers of structural and functional brain development and aging in humans.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2020

Same author

[Intensive care aspects of autoimmune encephalitis].

Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin·2019

Same author

Association Between Systemic Inflammation, Carotid Arteriosclerosis, and Autonomic Dysfunction.

Translational stroke research·2019

Same author

Cause or effect: Altered brain and network activity in cervical dystonia is partially normalized by botulinum toxin treatment.

NeuroImage. Clinical·2019

Same author

[Preoperative conditioning in ageing patients-gerontosurgery].

Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift fur alle Gebiete der operativen Medizen·2019

Same author

[How many potential organ donors are there really? : Retrospective analysis of why determination of irreversible loss of brain function was not performed in deceased patients with relevant brain damage].

Der Anaesthesist·2018

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG

Published on: June 14, 2010

Functional mapping of cortical areas with optical imaging.

K Holthoff¹, E Sagnak, O W Witte

¹Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany. knut.holthoff@lrz.tu-muenchen.de

|June 26, 2007

Summary

Mammalian cortical areas exhibit distinct functional activation patterns. Intrinsic optical signals reveal layer IV activation in primary sensory areas and layer II/III activation in secondary sensory and motor areas.

More Related Videos

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Published on: January 22, 2018

Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging

Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging

Published on: November 8, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG

Published on: June 14, 2010

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Published on: January 22, 2018

Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging

Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging

Published on: November 8, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cortical circuitry
Sensory processing

Background:

Mammalian cortical areas process diverse sensory inputs for environmental perception.
Inter-laminar connections are crucial for cortical computation, but their functional relevance is not fully understood.
Understanding these functional wiring patterns is key to deciphering cortical processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the functional properties of inter-laminar connections in rat cortical brain slices.
To determine if functional activation patterns differ across various cortical areas.
To explore the canonical architecture of functional micro-circuitry within the cortex.

Main Methods:

Utilized intrinsic optical signals (IOSs) in vitro on cortical brain slices.
Applied electrical stimulation to layer VI to evoke responses.
Analyzed laminar patterns of activation and IOS peak intensity across different cortical areas.

Main Results:

Electrical stimulation in layer VI consistently produced a columnar-shaped IOS across all cortical areas.
Primary sensory areas (visual, somatosensory) showed peak IOS intensity in layer IV.
Secondary sensory and motor areas exhibited peak IOS amplitude in layer II/III.
The hind limb area displayed a mixed pattern with peak amplitude in layers II and IV.
Columnar IOS shape remained consistent within a cortical area, indicating canonical micro-circuitry.

Conclusions:

Both primary and secondary sensory cortical areas demonstrate characteristic functional activation patterns.
These distinct patterns are maintained irrespective of the specific sensory modality.
The findings suggest a conserved functional architecture of cortical micro-circuits across different areas and modalities.