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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,...

Somatosensation

Somatosensation

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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

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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...

Gestalt Principles of Perception

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

Rethinking the extrastriate body area: from body perception to action priors.

Sebastiano Cinetto¹, Anastasia Dimakou¹, Maurizio Corbetta^1,2,3,4

¹Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)

|July 9, 2026

Summary

The extrastriate body area (EBA) does more than just perceive bodies; it uses predictive models to influence behavior. Body representations are flexible and distributed, not fixed in one brain area.

Keywords:

animacy extrastriate body area perception priors spontaneous activity

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Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

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Published on: April 16, 2014

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Published on: December 31, 2013

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Published on: August 4, 2023

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Social Cognition

Background:

The extrastriate body area (EBA) is traditionally linked to body perception.
Social cognition, action, and self-representation rely on body perception.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the broader functional role of the EBA beyond simple body perception.
To propose a new model for EBA function within a predictive brain architecture.

Main Methods:

Utilized multivariate analyses of brain data.
Examined resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) dynamics.

Main Results:

Body representations are not confined to a single brain region.
Evidence suggests body representations are flexible and shared across different categories.
The EBA appears to encode predictive, experience-shaped priors influencing behavior.

Conclusions:

The EBA functions as a dynamic node within a distributed predictive network.
EBA's role extends to biasing ongoing behavior, not just passive perception.
Body representation is a flexible process supported by a network, with EBA as a key, context-dependent hub.