Cerebral Cortex Areas Function

primary motor cortex

controls voluntary skeletal muscle movement

premotor cortex

planning and sequencing movements

Broca’s area

ability to form and produce speech (movement of muscles in mouth)

frontal eye field

control voluntary eye movement

primary somatosensory cortex

sensory receptor and location identifier; pain, touch, pressure, temperature, pressure

somatosensory association cortex

integration and understanding of sensory input

primary visual cortex

receives sensory input from optic nerve

visual association area

interpret optic sensory input; recognize patterns, objects, faces, colors

primary auditory cortex

receive auditory sensory input

auditory association area

interprets auditory sensory input

vestibular cortex

conscious awareness of balance

primary olfactory cortex

process and interpret smells; awareness of different odors

gustatory cortex

awareness and perceptions of tastes

visceral sensory area

monitor internal organs and maintain homeostasis

anterior assocation area

higher-order cognitive functions: planning, decision making, problem-solving, abstract thinking (relies on social interaction)

posterior association area

perception of the world and the body’s position in it: spatial awareness, interpreting sensory input, higher-order cognitive functions

limbic association area

emotional impact; linking emotional sensory with information, memory, and social behavior

Wernicke’s area

language comprehension; forms sentences