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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.

Vision

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.

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,...

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual constancy is the ability to recognize that objects remain consistent and unchanged even when their appearance varies due to changes in sensory input. There are four main types of perceptual constancy: size constancy, shape constancy, color constancy, and brightness constancy.
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis

Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis

Published on: November 9, 2011

A recurrent model of contour integration in primary visual cortex.

Thorsten Hansen¹, Heiko Neumann

¹Department of Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany. Thorsten.Hansen@psychol.uni-giessen.de

Journal of Vision

|October 4, 2008

Summary

This study introduces a novel computational model for visual processing, enhancing coherent activity through recurrent, long-range interactions in the primary visual cortex. The model successfully reproduces empirical data and improves contour saliency in images.

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Area of Science:

Computational neuroscience
Visual processing

Background:

Colinearity is crucial for visual processing, as shown by physiological and psychophysical studies.
Existing models do not fully capture long-range interactions in the primary visual cortex.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a novel computational model of recurrent long-range processing in the primary visual cortex.
To investigate how the model evaluates local orientation measurements in a global context and enhances coherent activity.

Main Methods:

A computational model restricting long-range interactions to parallel-oriented cells with colinear receptive fields.
Utilizing recurrent interactions with modulatory feedback and self-normalizing shunting equations.
Simulating model performance with a consistent set of parameters for artificial and natural images.

Main Results:

The model qualitatively reproduces empirical data on response facilitation and suppression for single bar elements.
Quantitative evaluation using contour saliency and orientation significance measures shows monotonic increase and saturation.
Demonstrates enhancement of coherent activity through excitatory, modulating feedback.

Conclusions:

The model clarifies how early vision tasks can be achieved within a single, biologically plausible architecture.
Highlights the role of recurrent, long-range processing in integrating local orientation information.
Provides a framework for understanding visual cortex function in processing complex visual scenes.