Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

6.5K
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....
6.5K
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:24

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

1.9K
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...
1.9K
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

42.7K
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.
42.7K
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

8.4K
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,...
8.4K
Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

Hierarchy of Motor Control

5.7K
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.
5.7K
Direct Motor Pathways01:11

Direct Motor Pathways

3.9K
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...
3.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Quality assessment and control of unprocessed anatomical, functional and diffusion MRI of the human brain using MRIQC.

Nature protocols·2026
Same author

Non-Canonical Subiculum Circuit Organization and Function.

Hippocampus·2026
Same author

Posterior parietal cortex maps progress along routes sharing the same meta-structure but opposite action series.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same author

Arbitrary stimuli are not devalued by stopping action: A registered replication of Wessel et al. (2014).

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2025
Same author

Adapt-A-Maze: An Open-Source Adaptable and Automated Rodent Behavior Maze System.

eNeuro·2025
Same author

Design and validation of novel brain-penetrant HCN channel inhibitors to ameliorate social stress-induced susceptible phenotype.

Molecular psychiatry·2025
Same journal

Pitch selectivity in ferret auditory cortex.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

A cell size-dependent competition between geometry and polarity governs nuclear and spindle positioning in early embryos.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Trophic cascades drive sustainability in the agricultural heritage rice-fish coculture system.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Tracking Satb2-positive retinal ganglion cells in zebrafish unveils developmental functional reorganization.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

RhoGAP54D promotes cell size asymmetry and inhibits pulsatile myosin activity in Drosophila neural stem cells.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Increased rates of hybridization in swordtails are associated with water pollution.

Current biology : CB·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function
06:17

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function

Published on: January 26, 2024

2.5K

Secondary Motor Cortex Transforms Spatial Information into Planned Action during Navigation.

Jacob M Olson1, Jamie K Li1, Sarah E Montgomery1

  • 1Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92092, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|April 18, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The secondary motor cortex (M2) integrates spatial navigation information. M2 neurons encode planned and current movements, updating navigation strategies in complex environments.

Keywords:
M2actionallocentriccortical circuitsdecision makingegocentricin vivo electrophysiologynavigationparietal cortexretrosplenial cortexsystems neuroscience

More Related Videos

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain
05:55

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain

Published on: October 13, 2023

1.4K
Non-Invasive Modulation and Robotic Mapping of Motor Cortex in the Developing Brain
08:26

Non-Invasive Modulation and Robotic Mapping of Motor Cortex in the Developing Brain

Published on: July 1, 2019

7.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function
06:17

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function

Published on: January 26, 2024

2.5K
Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain
05:55

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain

Published on: October 13, 2023

1.4K
Non-Invasive Modulation and Robotic Mapping of Motor Cortex in the Developing Brain
08:26

Non-Invasive Modulation and Robotic Mapping of Motor Cortex in the Developing Brain

Published on: July 1, 2019

7.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Fluid navigation necessitates continuous updating of movement plans to adapt to dynamic environments and shifting goals.
  • Neural substrates for navigation require processing of spatial and environmental data and the capacity for efferent motor output.
  • The secondary motor cortex (M2) is a key candidate due to its connections with spatial processing areas and projections to the primary motor cortex.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of secondary motor cortex (M2) neurons in spatial navigation and movement planning.
  • To determine how M2 neurons encode navigational information, including environmental context and action selection.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings from M2 neurons in rodents during a multi-route navigational task.
  • Analysis of neural activity in relation to planned and executed left/right turning actions.
  • Statistical comparison of M2 neural responses across different environmental positions, routes, and choice availabilities.

Main Results:

  • M2 neurons robustly encode both planned and ongoing left/right turning actions across various locations.
  • M2 neuronal activity demonstrates significant modulation by contextual factors such as environmental position, route, and orientation.
  • Despite contextual modulation, action planning and execution emerge as the dominant output signals from M2 neurons.

Conclusions:

  • The secondary motor cortex (M2) plays a critical role in integrating spatial information for updating planned movements during navigation.
  • M2 neurons are essential for encoding and executing navigational actions within complex, multi-route environments.
  • These findings highlight M2 as a crucial hub for adaptive motor control in spatial navigation.