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Related Concept Videos

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...

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,...

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...

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.

Direct Motor Pathways

Direct Motor Pathways

The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

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Published on: June 14, 2014

Motor speech perception modulates the cortical language areas.

Julius Fridriksson¹, Joel Moss, Ben Davis

¹Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, USA. jfridrik@sc.edu

|April 9, 2008

Summary

Observing speech movements activates frontal and temporal language areas, while non-speech movements activate parietal regions. This research explores visual speech perception and brain activity.

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Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

Somatosensory Event-related Potentials from Orofacial Skin Stretch Stimulation

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Published on: December 18, 2015

Study Design for Navigated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Speech Cortical Mapping

Study Design for Navigated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Speech Cortical Mapping

Published on: March 24, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Psycholinguistics

Background:

Classical language areas (frontal, parietal, temporal lobes) traditionally linked to production and comprehension.
Emerging evidence points to an integrated language network with overlapping roles in speech production and perception.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if observing speech motor movements, distinct from auditory speech, activates cortical speech areas.
To determine if task difficulty modulates activation in these regions, differentiating active speech perception from obligatory motor responses.
To explore the roles of specific brain regions in visual speech processing.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to observe brain activity.
Participants viewed speech motor movements versus non-speech motor movements.
Task difficulty was manipulated to assess modulation of neural activation.

Main Results:

Speech movements preferentially activated frontal and temporal language areas.
Non-speech movements preferentially activated the parietal region.
Degraded speech stimuli increased frontal and parietal lobe activity, but not temporal lobe activity.

Conclusions:

The frontal language area is implicated in visual speech perception.
Classical speech and language areas exhibit differential roles in processing observed motor speech movements.
Findings suggest a complex interplay between motor and perceptual aspects of speech processing in the brain.