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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.

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,...

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.

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

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...

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

Superior colliculus and visual spatial attention.

Richard J Krauzlis¹, Lee P Lovejoy, Alexandre Zénon

¹Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. richard.krauzlis@nih.gov

Annual Review of Neuroscience

|May 21, 2013

Summary

The superior colliculus (SC) is crucial for spatial attention, guiding movements and target selection. Its role extends to covert attention and perceptual tasks, operating independently of visual cortex attention mechanisms.

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Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Systems Neuroscience

Background:

The superior colliculus (SC) is recognized for its role in spatial attention networks.
Recent research has significantly advanced the understanding of the SC's specific functions.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the refined functional role of the superior colliculus in spatial attention.
To investigate the SC's contribution to target selection and motor control related to attention.

Main Methods:

Analysis of neuronal circuits linking the SC to attention-related cortical areas.
Examination of SC activity during covert attention shifts and perceptual judgments.
Investigation of SC mechanisms independent of visual cortex attention signatures.

Main Results:

The SC implements motor actions associated with attention and is vital for pre-movement target selection.
SC activity correlates with covert attention shifts and is essential for spatial attention in perceptual tasks.
SC's contribution to spatial attention involves mechanisms distinct from those in the visual cortex.

Conclusions:

The superior colliculus plays a multifaceted role in spatial attention, encompassing motor control, target selection, and covert attention.
SC functions in spatial attention appear to involve unique mechanisms, potentially independent of visual cortex processing.
These findings open new avenues for understanding the neural basis of spatial attention.