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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...

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....

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.

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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 4, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Large-Scale Neural Dynamics Through HD-MEA Technology

Author Spotlight: Advancing Large-Scale Neural Dynamics Through HD-MEA Technology

Published on: March 8, 2024

Functional connectivity-based parcellation of the human sensorimotor cortex.

Xiangyu Long¹, Dominique Goltz, Daniel S Margulies

¹Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.

The European Journal of Neuroscience

|January 15, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can create somatotopic maps of the human sensorimotor cortex without tasks. This connectivity-based parcellation method offers a novel approach for brain mapping applications.

Keywords:

post-task effect resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging sensorimotor cortex somatotopic task-based

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Area of Science:

Neuroimaging
Neuroscience
Human Brain Mapping

Background:

Task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is established for mapping the human sensorimotor cortex.
However, task-free methods offer potential advantages for broader applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if resting-state fMRI can generate somatotopic maps of the sensorimotor cortex.
To compare the efficacy of resting-state fMRI parcellation with task-based fMRI.

Main Methods:

Connectivity-based parcellation of the sensorimotor cortex (Brodmann areas 3 and 4) using resting-state fMRI.
Comparison of resting-state maps with somatotopic maps derived from task-based fMRI in the same participants.

Main Results:

Resting-state fMRI successfully generated somatotopic maps along a medial-lateral axis, corresponding to upper limb, hand, and lower limb representations.
The resting-state map showed improved correspondence with task-based maps after motor task performance.
Higher functional correlations were observed between the hand region and other sensorimotor areas compared to foot and tongue regions.

Conclusions:

Connectivity-based parcellation using resting-state fMRI is a viable method for creating somatotopic maps of the sensorimotor cortex.
This task-free approach demonstrates significant potential for diverse brain mapping applications.