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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...

Motor Units

Motor Units

A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.

Motor Units

Motor Units

The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...

Motor Unit Stimulation

Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

DSCAM Mutation Impairs Motor Cortex Network Dynamic and Voluntary Motor Functions.

Olivier D Laflamme¹, Maxime Lemieux¹, Louise Thiry¹

¹Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec, CHUL, 2705 Boul. Laurier, Québec, Canada.

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)

|May 3, 2018

Summary

Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM) mutations impair motor cortex development and function. This leads to motor deficits and altered corticospinal tract activity, impacting voluntary movement control.

Keywords:

DSCAM mutation intracortical microstimulation motor cortex mouse tracing

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Last Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Methods to Quantify Pharmacologically Induced Alterations in Motor Function in Human Incomplete SCI

Published on: April 18, 2011

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

Gait Analysis of Age-dependent Motor Impairments in Mice with Neurodegeneration

Gait Analysis of Age-dependent Motor Impairments in Mice with Neurodegeneration

Published on: June 18, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Motor System Function

Background:

Netrin-1 signaling pathways are crucial for motor cortex and corticospinal tract development.
The role of Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM) in motor cortex development is less understood.
DSCAM regulates axonal outgrowth and dendritic arborization in developing cortical neurons.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of DSCAM in the development and function of the motor cortex.
To analyze the impact of DSCAM mutations on corticospinal tract development and motor behavior.
To elucidate the functional consequences of DSCAM dysfunction in motor control.

Main Methods:

Behavioral analysis of DSCAM2J mutant mice on motor tasks (horizontal ladder, obstacle crossing).
Anterograde tracing to examine corticospinal tract projections and terminal distribution.
Intracortical and pyramidal tract microstimulation to assess cortical and spinal efficacy.

Main Results:

DSCAM2J mutant mice displayed impaired motor coordination and gait abnormalities.
Axonal terminals showed altered dorsal distribution in the spinal gray matter.
Reduced corticospinal and intracortical efficacy was observed, while spinal efficacy remained normal.
These findings suggest dysfunctional cortical development rather than spinal cord issues.

Conclusions:

DSCAM mutation impairs motor cortex network dynamics, reducing corticospinal drive.
This dysfunction leads to deficits in voluntary locomotor functions.
DSCAM is essential for normal motor cortex development and motor control.