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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...

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,...

Spinal Cord: Information Processing

Spinal Cord: Information Processing

The spinal cord is an integral hub for motor and sensory information that enables the brain to communicate with the peripheral nervous system (PNS). This communication consists of relaying sensory data and transmission of motor commands.
Sensory Information Processing
Sensory information processing begins at the sensory receptors located in the skin and other tissues, which detect somatic sensory stimuli such as touch, temperature, or pain. These receptors function as catalysts, initiating...

Somatosensation

Somatosensation

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.

Cerebral Hemispheres

Cerebral Hemispheres

The human brain, a complex organ, is functionally divided into two cerebral hemispheres—left and right. These hemispheres are interconnected by a structure of paramount importance, the corpus callosum. This substantial bundle of neural fibers is not just a bridge between the hemispheres but a crucial element for the brain's comprehensive functioning. It enables efficient communication between the two hemispheres, allowing each side of the brain to control and receive sensory and motor...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 20, 2025

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain

Published on: October 13, 2023

Shared and specialized coding across posterior cortical areas for dynamic navigation decisions.

Shih-Yi Tseng¹, Selmaan N Chettih¹, Charlotte Arlt¹

¹Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

|June 9, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The mouse posterior cortex uses a parallel, not hierarchical, system for navigation. Different cortical areas specialize in processing distinct sensory information for adaptive behavior.

Keywords:

calcium imaging conjunctive coding cortical organization decision-making navigation parietal cortex population coding representational geometry retrosplenial cortex virtual reality

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Last Updated: Sep 20, 2025

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain

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Published on: October 13, 2023

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Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience
Systems Neuroscience

Background:

Animals integrate sensory information, planning, and action for navigation.
The functional organization of the posterior cortex in supporting these processes is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize neural encoding in the mouse posterior cortex during a virtual navigation task.
To understand how different cortical areas contribute to adaptive navigation and decision-making.

Main Methods:

Recorded neural activity from approximately 90,000 neurons in the mouse posterior cortex.
Utilized a virtual navigation task involving rule switching to assess neural responses.

Main Results:

Neural encoding of task and behavioral variables was distributed across cortical areas but varied in magnitude.
Identified three spatial gradients for visual cue, choice formation dynamics, and locomotion, peaking in visual, retrosplenial, and parietal cortices, respectively.
Found similar conjunctive encoding of variables in single neurons across the posterior cortex, forming high-dimensional representations.

Conclusions:

The posterior cortex operates in parallel, not hierarchically, for navigation decisions.
Cortical areas collectively generate a state representation of behavior and environment.
Each area specializes in handling distinct information modalities for adaptive navigation.