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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....

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.

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,...

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

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 Agnosia

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging

Published on: November 21, 2023

Spontaneous Activity in Primary Visual Cortex Relates to Visual Creativity.

Yibo Wang¹, Junchao Li², Zengjian Wang¹

¹Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

|April 19, 2021

Summary

Spontaneous brain activity in the primary visual area (PVA) during critical time points (CTPs) is linked to visual creativity. This resting-state activity predicts brain network patterns during creative tasks, offering insights into visual cortex function.

Keywords:

critical time point analysis functional brain network primary visual area spontaneous activity visual creativity

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Author Spotlight: Insights into Visual Cortex Research Through Wide-View fMRI Mapping

Author Spotlight: Insights into Visual Cortex Research Through Wide-View fMRI Mapping

Published on: December 8, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Psychology

Background:

Visual creativity is a complex cognitive function.
Understanding the neural underpinnings of visual creativity is crucial.
Spontaneous brain activity's role in creativity remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between spontaneous activity in the primary visual area (PVA) and visual creativity.
To explore how critical time points (CTPs) of resting-state activity in the PVA relate to task-based functional brain networks during creative synthesis.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to collect resting-state and task-based data from 16 participants.
Critical Time Point Analysis (CTPA) was employed to differentiate spontaneous activity in the PVA into CTPs and remaining time points (RTPs).
Functional brain networks were constructed based on activity at CTPs, RTPs, and during the creative task.

Main Results:

Spontaneous PVA activity at CTPs may be associated with mental imagery, a key component of visual creativity.
The CTP-based brain network exhibited increased global efficiency and decreased local efficiency compared to the RTP-based network.
The integrated properties of the CTP-network predicted those of the creative task-evoked network, unlike the RTP-network.

Conclusions:

Spontaneous activity in the PVA at CTPs is significantly associated with brain responses during visual creative tasks.
CTPs of resting-state activity in the PVA offer valuable insights into the neural mechanisms of visual creativity.
This research sheds light on the visual cortex's involvement in visual creative processes.