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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....

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...

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.

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,...

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...

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 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

Reflections on agranular architecture: predictive coding in the motor cortex.

Stewart Shipp¹, Rick A Adams, Karl J Friston

¹Department of Visual Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.

Trends in Neurosciences

|October 26, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The motor cortex’s agranular structure is explained by predictive coding, a process called active inference. This theory also explains unique mirror neuron activity, gating perception and action.

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Last Updated: May 6, 2026

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Published on: August 1, 2018

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Published on: August 12, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience
Cortical Circuitry

Background:

The functional significance of the agranular architecture in the motor cortex remains unclear.
Sensory cortex features a granular layer (Layer 4) as the primary target for ascending pathways.
Hierarchical cortical connections exhibit asymmetries that may hold functional relevance.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a functional interpretation for the agranular architecture of the motor cortex.
To investigate the role of predictive coding, specifically active inference, in motor system operations.
To explain the apparent recession of the ascending pathway in the motor cortex.

Main Methods:

Theoretical modeling based on predictive coding principles.
Analysis of hierarchical cortical connection asymmetries.
Extension of predictive coding theory to interlaminar circuitry.

Main Results:

Predictive coding (active inference) offers a functional rationale for the motor cortex's agranular structure.
The theory explains the reduced prominence of the ascending pathway in motor cortex compared to sensory cortex.
The model accounts for the behavior of a specific subclass of mirror neurons in the motor cortex.

Conclusions:

The agranular architecture of the motor cortex is functionally explained by active inference.
Predictive coding principles can elucidate unique neural circuit properties, including mirror neuron function.
This framework highlights how predictive coding gates hierarchical processing for switching between perception and action.