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Related Concept Videos

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

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 Cortex01:23

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...
Somatosensation01:33

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.
Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

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...
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

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,...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

Sensing with the motor cortex.

Nicholas G Hatsopoulos1, Aaron J Suminski

  • 1Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA. nicho@uchicago.edu

Neuron
|November 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The primary motor cortex, key for voluntary movement, also processes sensory input like vision and touch. This sensory role impacts motor control and brain-machine interface development.

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Non-Invasive Modulation and Robotic Mapping of Motor Cortex in the Developing Brain
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Published on: July 1, 2019

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks
11:31

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks

Published on: December 5, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 27, 2026

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

Non-Invasive Modulation and Robotic Mapping of Motor Cortex in the Developing Brain
08:26

Non-Invasive Modulation and Robotic Mapping of Motor Cortex in the Developing Brain

Published on: July 1, 2019

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks
11:31

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks

Published on: December 5, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • The primary motor cortex (M1) is traditionally viewed as central to voluntary motor execution.
  • Emerging evidence highlights M1's significant, yet often overlooked, sensory processing capabilities.
  • These sensory responses occur across various modalities, including visual and somatosensory information.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current research on sensorimotor responses within the primary motor cortex.
  • To emphasize the heterogeneity of these sensorimotor responses.
  • To explore the implications of M1's sensory functions for motor control and brain-machine interface (BMI) development.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on primary motor cortex function.
  • Analysis of research focusing on sensory responses in M1.
  • Synthesis of findings related to sensorimotor integration and heterogeneity.

Main Results:

  • The primary motor cortex exhibits diverse sensory responses, not limited to motor commands.
  • Sensorimotor responses in M1 are heterogeneous, varying with task and sensory modality.
  • This sensory processing influences the cortical control of movement.

Conclusions:

  • The primary motor cortex's role extends beyond motor output to include significant sensory integration.
  • Understanding M1's sensory heterogeneity is crucial for advancing theories of motor control.
  • Exploiting M1's sensorimotor properties may enhance brain-machine interface design and functionality.