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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...

Auditory Pathway

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...

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,...

The Cochlea

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.

Auditory Perception

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

Secondary auditory cortex mediates a sensorimotor mechanism for action timing.

Jonathan R Cook^1,2,3, Hao Li¹, Bella Nguyen¹

¹Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Nature Neuroscience

|March 9, 2022

Summary

The brain uses sound from your own actions to learn when to act. Disrupting this auditory feedback impairs timing, but the secondary auditory cortex can restore it.

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A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition

A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition

Published on: October 29, 2018

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Last Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

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Published on: December 31, 2013

Author Spotlight: Combined Peripheral Nerve Stimulation and Controllable Pulse Parameter Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Probe Sensorimotor Control and Learning

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A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition

A Method to Study Adaptation to Left-Right Reversed Audition

Published on: October 29, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory Systems
Behavioral Science

Background:

Accurate action timing is crucial for adaptive behavior.
The neural basis and behavioral mechanisms of action timing are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of sensory input in learned action timing.
To identify the neural circuits controlling action timing.

Main Methods:

Developed a novel self-paced action timing task in mice.
Utilized sensory deprivation (auditory, somatosensory, visual) and optogenetics.
Recorded neuronal activity in the secondary auditory cortex.

Main Results:

Auditory deprivation, but not somatosensory or visual, disrupted action timing.
The effect of hearing loss depended on self-generated auditory feedback.
Neuronal activity in the secondary auditory cortex was essential for action timing.
Optogenetic stimulation of this area rescued timing deficits.

Conclusions:

The secondary auditory cortex plays a key role in action timing.
Self-generated auditory feedback is critical for learned action timing.
This reveals a sensorimotor mechanism involving audiomotor feedback for action control.