Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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...

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...

Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

Cerebrum: Anatomical Overview II

Cerebrum: Anatomical Overview II

Each cerebral hemisphere can be divided into three main regions. The outermost region, the cerebral cortex, is a thin layer (2 to 4 millimeters thick) made up of gray matter, consisting of neuron cell bodies, dendrites, glial cells, and blood vessels. The middle region, or white matter, is primarily composed of myelinated nerve fibers organized into three types of large tracts: association fibers, commissures, and projection fibers. Association fibers connect different areas within the same...

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,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

CA1 Engram Cell Dynamics Before and After Learning.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Diurnal rhythms of choice: a novel state-dependent drift diffusion model uncovers time-dependent changes in rat decision making.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Songbird connectome reveals tunneling of migratory neurons in the adult striatum.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same author

Regulation of the decision threshold by the locus coeruleus.

Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·2026

Same author

ICG-directed scrotal flap design for adult-acquired buried penis repair.

Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS·2026

Same author

Regulation of Decision Threshold by the Locus Coeruleus.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 2, 2025

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex

Published on: September 5, 2018

Everything, everywhere, all at once: Functional specialization and distributed coding in the cerebral cortex.

Rifqi O Affan¹, Benjamin B Scott²

¹Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

|August 4, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Tseng and colleagues discovered functional gradients in the mouse posterior cortex. These gradients help explain how the brain balances specialized and distributed processing for navigation.

More Related Videos

Microdissection of Mouse Brain into Functionally and Anatomically Different Regions

Microdissection of Mouse Brain into Functionally and Anatomically Different Regions

Published on: February 15, 2021

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Published on: January 22, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 2, 2025

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex

Large-scale Three-dimensional Imaging of Cellular Organization in the Mouse Neocortex

Published on: September 5, 2018

Microdissection of Mouse Brain into Functionally and Anatomically Different Regions

Microdissection of Mouse Brain into Functionally and Anatomically Different Regions

Published on: February 15, 2021

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Published on: January 22, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Systems Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

The posterior cortex is crucial for navigation.
Understanding how neural processing is organized within this region remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate functional organization within the mouse posterior cortex.
To reconcile specialized versus distributed processing models in the context of navigation.

Main Methods:

Utilized functional imaging techniques in mice.
Analyzed neural activity patterns during navigation tasks.

Main Results:

Identified distinct functional gradients across the posterior cortex.
Demonstrated that these gradients support both specialized computations and integrated network activity.
Showcased how this organization facilitates flexible, goal-directed navigation.

Conclusions:

Functional gradients in the posterior cortex provide a framework for understanding neural processing during navigation.
This organization supports a hybrid model of specialized and distributed information processing.