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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...

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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Neurorehabilitation Through EEG, Motor Imagery, and Virtual Reality

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Neurorehabilitation Through EEG, Motor Imagery, and Virtual Reality

Published on: May 10, 2024

Functional integration of mirror neuron system and sensorimotor cortex under virtual self-actions visual perception.

Hao Fan¹, Zhizeng Luo¹

¹Institute of Intelligent Control and Robotics, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Behavioural Brain Research

|February 5, 2022

Summary

Virtual reality (VR) enhances motor rehabilitation by improving mirror neuron system and sensorimotor cortex integration. First-person VR action observation boosts neural activity and functional connectivity more than traditional methods.

Keywords:

Action observation Brain functional network Mirror neuron system Sensorimotor cortex Upper limb motor rehabilitation Virtual reality

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Rehabilitation Technology
Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive visual experiences valuable for motor deficit rehabilitation.
Action observation relies on mirror neuron system (MNS) and sensorimotor cortex (SMC) integration for neurorehabilitation.
The impact of VR-induced visual changes on this functional integration requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how first-person vs. third-person VR action observation affects MNS and SMC functional integration.
To determine if VR enhances neural activity and connectivity compared to traditional action observation.

Main Methods:

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were recorded from 20 healthy adults observing actions in VR.
Exact low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA) analyzed cortical current density.
Lagged phase synchronization assessed functional connectivity between MNS and SMC.

Main Results:

First-person VR perspective significantly increased MNS cortical current density and event-related potentials.
EEG alpha bands (α1, α2) showed greater suppression under the first-person VR condition.
Enhanced functional connectivity was observed between MNS and SMC core cortices in first-person VR.

Conclusions:

VR's visual reappearance of self-actions, particularly in first-person perspective, stimulates MNS activity.
VR promotes functional integration between the MNS and SMC, offering potential for improved motor rehabilitation.
VR-based action observation may be more effective than traditional methods for neurorehabilitation.