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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....

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.

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,...

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...

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...

Visual Agnosia

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Automated Visual Cognitive Tasks for Recording Neural Activity Using a Floor Projection Maze

Automated Visual Cognitive Tasks for Recording Neural Activity Using a Floor Projection Maze

Published on: February 20, 2014

Early visual cortex reflects initiation and maintenance of task set.

Abdurahman S Elkhetali¹, Ryan J Vaden¹, Sean M Pool²

¹Neurobiology Department, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 111D, 1530 3(RD) Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.

|December 9, 2014

Summary

Early visual cortex activity helps initiate and maintain task sets, crucial for flexible human behavior and attention. This brain function is vital for understanding attention disorders.

Keywords:

Attentional set Cognitive control Intrinsic activity Task set Trial-independent Visual cortex

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Last Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Automated Visual Cognitive Tasks for Recording Neural Activity Using a Floor Projection Maze

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Published on: February 20, 2014

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

Published on: May 12, 2019

Author Spotlight: Insights into Visual Cortex Research Through Wide-View fMRI Mapping

Author Spotlight: Insights into Visual Cortex Research Through Wide-View fMRI Mapping

Published on: December 8, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Visual Neuroscience

Background:

Human cognitive flexibility allows task-dependent information processing.
Mechanisms of task set initiation and maintenance are poorly understood.
Understanding these mechanisms is key for behavioral flexibility and attention disorder therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate differential roles of early visual cortical areas in task set initiation and maintenance.
Characterize trial-independent activity in retinotopically mapped early visual cortex.
Examine how this activity relates to attention-demanding tasks.

Main Methods:

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) was used.
Participants performed auditory or visual attention tasks with varying distractors.
Trial-independent activity in early visual areas (V1, V2, V3, hV4) was analyzed.

Main Results:

Trial-independent activity patterns in early visual areas depended on attended modality, not stimulus type.
Distinct early visual areas showed specific roles in task set initiation.
Activity related to task set maintenance correlated with participant behavior.

Conclusions:

Trial-independent activity in early visual cortex reflects the initiation and maintenance of task sets.
Early visual areas contribute uniquely to cognitive flexibility and task set control.
Findings advance understanding of attention and brain mechanisms underlying flexible behavior.