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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 the...

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,...

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.

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...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Published on: January 10, 2015

Monosynaptic connections link functionally similar regions in human cortex.

Rui Xu¹, Alan Bush², Atsushi Takahashi¹

¹McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology

|June 4, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study maps human brain connections using electrical stimulation and fMRI (es-fMRI). It reveals that functionally similar brain regions are more likely to be connected, advancing our understanding of the human connectome.

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Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

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Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Published on: January 10, 2015

Recording and Analyzing Multimodal Large-Scale Neuronal Ensemble Dynamics on CMOS-Integrated High-Density Microelectrode Array

Recording and Analyzing Multimodal Large-Scale Neuronal Ensemble Dynamics on CMOS-Integrated High-Density Microelectrode Array

Published on: March 8, 2024

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
Human Brain Mapping
Connectomics

Background:

Human cortical functional organization is detailed, but axonal connections remain largely unknown.
This knowledge gap hinders understanding of computational pathways and connection principles in cortical networks.

Purpose of the Study:

To map whole-brain anatomical connectivity of cortical sites in humans.
To link anatomical connectivity maps with functional organization using task and resting-state fMRI.
To establish electrical stimulation and functional MRI (es-fMRI) as a scalable method for human connectome mapping.

Main Methods:

Used concurrent electrical stimulation and functional MRI (es-fMRI) in epilepsy patients undergoing intracranial monitoring.
Validated es-fMRI against nonhuman primate tracer studies.
Combined es-fMRI connectivity maps with task and resting-state fMRI data from the same individuals.

Main Results:

Connectivity follows a functional-similarity principle, though sparse.
Functional profile explains more connectivity variance than distance, especially for long-range connections.
Direct links found between functional regions like the fusiform face area (FFA) and temporoparietal junction (TPJ).
Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) showed weak correlation with es-fMRI connectivity.

Conclusions:

Provides the first principled link between anatomical connectivity and functional organization in the human cortex.
Establishes es-fMRI as a scalable, tracer-grade approach for mapping the human brain connectome.