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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.

Spinal Cord: Information Processing

Spinal Cord: Information Processing

The spinal cord is an integral hub for motor and sensory information that enables the brain to communicate with the peripheral nervous system (PNS). This communication consists of relaying sensory data and transmission of motor commands.
Sensory Information Processing
Sensory information processing begins at the sensory receptors located in the skin and other tissues, which detect somatic sensory stimuli such as touch, temperature, or pain. These receptors function as catalysts, initiating...

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...

Hierarchy of Motor Control

Hierarchy of Motor Control

The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.

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: Jun 11, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Grasping for parsimony: do some motor actions escape dorsal processing?

Markus Janczyk¹, Volker H Franz, Wilfried Kunde

¹Dortmund University of Technology, Department of Psychology, Dortmund, Germany. markus.janczyk@tu-dortmund.de

Neuropsychologia

|July 6, 2010

Summary

Visual perception and action rely on similar brain processes, challenging the traditional Action-Perception model. This study reveals that all grasping actions, regardless of skill or handedness, share processing characteristics with perception.

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Last Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

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Published on: November 22, 2021

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Human Motor Control

Background:

The Action-Perception model posits distinct neural pathways for visual perception (ventral stream) and action guidance (dorsal stream).
This model suggests that atypical actions (e.g., left-handed, awkward) might rely more on perceptual (ventral) systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether visual transformations for action are similar to those for perception.
To test the hypothesis that atypical actions are processed similarly to perception, contrasting with skilled actions.

Main Methods:

Utilized a combination of the Garner-Interference paradigm and the psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm.
Examined Garner-Interference effects and processing capacity limitations across different grasping types (skilled right-handed, left-handed, awkward, tool-assisted).

Main Results:

All tested grasping actions, including left-handed and awkward grasps, exhibited no Garner-Interference, similar to skilled actions.
However, all grasping types demonstrated processing capacity limitations, as evidenced by the PRP paradigm, mirroring perceptual processing.

Conclusions:

The findings challenge the strict division of labor proposed by the Action-Perception model.
Evidence suggests that similar underlying visual processing mechanisms support both perception and a wide range of human actions, irrespective of skill or handedness.