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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.

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.

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: Apr 3, 2026

Measuring and Manipulating Functionally Specific Neural Pathways in the Human Motor System with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Measuring and Manipulating Functionally Specific Neural Pathways in the Human Motor System with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: February 23, 2020

Coding complexity in the human motor circuit.

Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham^1,2, Tony W Wilson^1,2,3

¹Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, Nebraska.

Human Brain Mapping

|September 26, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Motor planning complexity impacts brain activity. More complex movements increase beta oscillations in specific brain regions, suggesting the fronto-parietal network is key for intricate motor control.

Keywords:

DLPFC MEG beta magnetoencephalography movement oscillations parietal

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Published on: July 1, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Brain Oscillations

Background:

Cortical oscillatory dynamics, particularly beta (15-30 Hz) desynchronization, are crucial for human movement but their precise function is unclear.
Previous research linked beta desynchronization to motor planning and selection, but primarily examined pre-movement phases and limited parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how motor plan complexity influences peri-movement beta oscillations and circuit connectivity using magnetoencephalography (MEG).
To explore the dynamic changes in beta activity and functional connectivity during movement execution in relation to sequence complexity.

Main Methods:

Utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG) with a novel motor sequence paradigm to record brain activity.
Analyzed peri-movement beta oscillations (15-30 Hz) and functional connectivity in key brain regions.
Extracted virtual sensors to examine beta activity dynamics before and during movement execution.

Main Results:

Complex motor sequences elicited stronger beta desynchronization in the right parietal and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during movement execution compared to simple sequences.
Increased functional connectivity between the left DLPFC and right parietal cortex was observed after movement onset for complex sequences, but not simple ones.
The observed complexity effect on connectivity was independent of beta response amplitude differences.

Conclusions:

Motor plan complexity significantly modulates the dynamics of peri-movement beta oscillations and fronto-parietal network connectivity.
These findings provide novel insights into the functional role of beta oscillations in motor control, highlighting their involvement beyond simple movement execution.
Complex motor behavior recruitment of fronto-parietal network regions, alongside sensorimotor areas, is suggested by the observed connectivity patterns.