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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...

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

Published on: May 12, 2019

Cortical EEG components that reflect inverse effectiveness during visuotactile integration processing.

Noriaki Kanayama¹, Kenta Kimura², Kazuo Hiraki³

¹Department of General Systems Studies in Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan; Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami, Hiroshima, Japan.

|December 17, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Inverse effectiveness enhances multisensory integration, where weaker stimuli yield greater neural responses. This study used EEG to reveal this principle in the somatosensory and frontal cortices.

Keywords:

EEG Independent component analysis Inter-trial phase coherency Inverse effectiveness Multisensory integration Visuotactile interaction

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Simultaneous Recording of Electroretinography and Visual Evoked Potentials in Anesthetized Rats

Simultaneous Recording of Electroretinography and Visual Evoked Potentials in Anesthetized Rats

Published on: July 1, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Sensory Processing

Background:

Multisensory integration combines information from different senses for appropriate behavioral output.
Inverse effectiveness, where weaker stimuli elicit stronger neural responses, is key to multisensory integration.
While the superior colliculus is known for this, multisensory neurons are widespread in the brain.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate cortical responses to multisensory stimuli using the principle of inverse effectiveness.
To elucidate the role of the somatosensory and frontal cortices in multisensory processing.

Main Methods:

Utilized scalp electroencephalography (EEG) to analyze cortical responses.
Modulated tactile stimulus intensity during simultaneous visual-tactile stimulation.
Examined time-frequency components, including event-related spectrum perturbation and inter-trial phase coherency.

Main Results:

Observed significant differences in theta band inter-trial phase coherence between 200-400 ms post-stimulus.
These differences occurred in response to multisensory (visuotactile) versus unisensory (tactile) stimulation.
Found effects specifically in the somatosensory and anterior cingulate cortices.

Conclusions:

Inverse effectiveness plays a crucial role in multisensory processing within the somatosensory and frontal cortices.
EEG analysis revealed specific temporal dynamics (200-400 ms) of this phenomenon.
Suggests broader cortical involvement in multisensory integration beyond established areas like the superior colliculus.