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Related Concept Videos

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

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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...
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Lobes of the Cerebrum01:22

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The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
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Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

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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.
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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:
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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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Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

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Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
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Posterior parietal cortex.

Jonathan R Whitlock1

  • 1Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Current Biology : CB
|July 26, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The posterior parietal cortex is a key associative brain region integrating sensory and motor information. It plays a crucial role in higher-order functions, connecting various cortical and subcortical areas.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Brain Anatomy
  • Cortical Function

Background:

  • The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is a major associative region in the mammalian brain.
  • It is located between visual and somatosensory cortices.
  • The PPC comprises Brodmann's areas 5, 7, 39, and 40 in humans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define the anatomical location and functional role of the posterior parietal cortex.
  • To highlight its associative nature, integrating diverse neural inputs.
  • To differentiate its higher-order functions from anterior parietal areas.

Main Methods:

  • Review of neuroanatomical literature.
  • Analysis of functional localization within the cortex.
  • Comparison of PPC organization across mammalian species.

Main Results:

  • The PPC is a distinct functional entity within the parietal lobe.
  • It integrates visual, somatosensory, auditory, motor, and prefrontal cortical inputs.
  • The PPC also integrates proprioceptive and vestibular signals from subcortical structures.

Conclusions:

  • The posterior parietal cortex is a critical hub for sensorimotor integration and higher-order cognitive functions.
  • Its associative nature underscores its importance in combining information from multiple sensory modalities.
  • Understanding the PPC's connectivity is key to comprehending complex brain operations.