Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The GPR17 agonist galinex restores oligodendrocyte maturation under inflammatory conditions.

Frontiers in pharmacology·2026
Same author

A brain-penetrant chimeric protein combines direct glioma targeting with myeloid cell-mediated immune reprogramming.

Journal of translational medicine·2026
Same author

Factors Associated with Burnout, Low Professional Fulfillment, and Intention to Leave Among Biomedical Research Faculty.

Journal of occupational and environmental medicine·2026
Same author

Building a Better Clinical Competency Committee: A Multi-Institutional Approach to Improving the Quality of Resident Feedback Through Appreciative Inquiry.

HCA healthcare journal of medicine·2026
Same author

From discovery to therapeutic development of monoclonal antibodies.

Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society·2026
Same author

Toward an NGF-based therapy for Rett syndrome.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice
06:04

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Published on: March 4, 2014

Gene expression changes in the motor cortex mediating motor skill learning.

Vincent C K Cheung1, Caroline Deboer, Elizabeth Hanson

  • 1McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America. ckcheung@mit.edu

Plos One
|May 3, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Gene expression in the primary motor cortex (M1) changes during motor skill learning. These changes, particularly involving synaptic and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) genes, are crucial for motor cortical plasticity and skill acquisition.

More Related Videos

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

Acquisition of a High-precision Skilled Forelimb Reaching Task in Rats
08:59

Acquisition of a High-precision Skilled Forelimb Reaching Task in Rats

Published on: June 22, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice
06:04

Study Motor Skill Learning by Single-pellet Reaching Tasks in Mice

Published on: March 4, 2014

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

Acquisition of a High-precision Skilled Forelimb Reaching Task in Rats
08:59

Acquisition of a High-precision Skilled Forelimb Reaching Task in Rats

Published on: June 22, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The primary motor cortex (M1) is vital for motor skill learning.
  • Understanding genes involved in M1 plasticity is limited.
  • This knowledge can inform treatments for motor function impairments, like stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate changes in the motor-cortical transcriptome during motor skill acquisition.
  • To identify genes and pathways associated with motor learning and M1 plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Adult rats were trained on a reach and grasp task or a sham task.
  • Motor cortex tissue was collected at different training stages (pre-training, pre-improvement, peak performance).
  • Transcriptomic analysis (gene expression profiling) was performed.

Main Results:

  • Distinct gene expression patterns were observed before motor task improvement.
  • Gene expression changes were linked to synaptic function, development, intracellular signaling, and FGF pathways.
  • Modulated genes regulate synaptic plasticity, synaptogenesis, and cytoskeletal dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • Motor skill improvement correlates with accumulated modifications in cortical circuitry.
  • Regulated synaptic and FGF-related genes likely contribute to M1 remodeling and motor learning.
  • This study identifies potential molecular targets for enhancing motor function and treating neurological disorders.