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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....

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.

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,...

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.

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: Jul 6, 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

Cortical field maps across human sensory cortex.

Alyssa A Brewer¹, Brian Barton²

¹mindSPACE Laboratory, Departments of Cognitive Sciences and Language Science (by Courtesy), Center for Hearing Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.

Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience

|January 2, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Mammalian brains organize sensory information into cortical field maps (CMFs) and cloverleaf clusters. Understanding this organization reveals how perception forms and aids in treating sensory deficits.

Keywords:

auditory field map cloverleaf cluster gustatory periodotopy retinotopy somatotopy tonotopy visual field map

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory processing
Cortical organization

Background:

Mammalian brains feature topographical representations for sensory information.
These representations are organized into cortical field maps (CMFs) across sensory cortices.
CMFs are defined by orthogonal topographical gradients and organized into cloverleaf clusters.

Purpose of the Study:

To review evidence for CMF and cloverleaf cluster organization in human sensory cortex.
To discuss methods for identifying these organizational patterns.
To explore the implications for understanding perception and clinical therapies.

Main Methods:

Review of existing neuroscientific research on cortical organization.
Analysis of topographical representations in visual, auditory, somatosensory, gustatory, and olfactory pathways.
Discussion of techniques used to identify CMFs and cloverleaf clusters.

Main Results:

Evidence supports the existence of CMFs and cloverleaf clusters across multiple sensory cortices.
These organizational patterns are present in visual, auditory, and other sensory pathways.
Knowledge of these structures offers insights into perceptual processing.

Conclusions:

Cortical field maps and cloverleaf clusters are fundamental organizational principles in sensory cortex.
Understanding these patterns enhances our knowledge of conscious perception.
Studying CMFs and their changes is crucial for developing clinical therapies for sensory deficits.