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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....

Association Areas of the Cortex

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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:
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.

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

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Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 25, 2026

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Higher-Order Areas of the Mouse Visual Cortex.

Lindsey L Glickfeld¹, Shawn R Olsen²

¹Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710;

Annual Review of Vision Science

|July 27, 2017

Summary

The mouse visual cortex, like the primate brain, features specialized higher visual areas. This review explores their layout, connectivity, and function, offering insights into neural information processing.

Keywords:

connectivity functional specialization hierarchical and parallel processing higher visual area mouse visual cortex

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual System Research
Cortical Circuitry

Background:

The brain transforms environmental sensory input into neural representations for perception and action.
Higher-order sensory cortical areas are crucial for this transformation due to complex receptive fields and integration.
The primate visual cortex exemplifies this with specialized areas in parallel streams.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge on the organization, connectivity, and function of mouse higher visual areas.
To explore the role of these areas in perception and action.
To understand general principles of information processing in integrated neural networks using the mouse visual system as a model.

Main Methods:

Review of recent anatomical and physiological studies on the mouse visual cortex.
Synthesis of data on the layout and connectivity of higher visual areas.
Analysis of functional properties and computational roles.

Main Results:

The mouse visual cortex possesses a complex network of specialized higher-order areas, analogous to primates.
These areas exhibit distinct connectivity patterns and functional properties.
The mouse visual system serves as a valuable model for studying neural information transformation.

Conclusions:

Higher visual areas in the mouse are critical for processing visual information.
Understanding the mouse visual system can elucidate fundamental principles of neural computation.
This research provides a foundation for investigating synaptic and circuit mechanisms in visual processing.