Part 2: Cerebral Cortex – Motor, Sensory & Association Areas

What are the four main motor areas of the cerebral cortex?

Primary (somatic) motor cortex, premotor cortex, Broca’s area, and frontal eye field.

Where is the primary motor cortex located?

In the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe.

What is the function of the primary motor cortex?

It allows conscious control of precise, skilled, voluntary muscle movements.

What is a motor homunculus?

A distorted map showing the location and amount of cortical tissue devoted to each motor function.

What does the motor homunculus represent?

The body regions with the greatest motor control (like hands and face) have the largest cortical areas.

Where is the premotor cortex located?

Anterior to the precentral gyrus in the frontal lobe.

What is the function of the premotor cortex?

It controls learned, repetitive, or patterned motor skills and is involved in planning movements.

Where is Broca’s area located?

Anterior to the inferior region of the premotor area, usually in the left hemisphere.

What is the function of Broca’s area?

It is a motor speech area that directs muscles of the tongue and is active in speech preparation.

How is Broca’s area related to the motor homunculus?

It represents a forward expansion of the area controlling mouth muscles.

Where is the frontal eye field located?

Anterior to the premotor cortex and superior to Broca’s area.

What is the function of the frontal eye field?

It controls voluntary eye movement and enhances hand-eye coordination.

What are the main sensory areas of the cerebral cortex?

Primary somatosensory cortex, somatosensory association cortex, visual areas, auditory areas, and olfactory, gustatory, and vestibular cortices.

Where is the primary somatosensory cortex located?

In the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe.

What is the function of the primary somatosensory cortex?

It receives information from the skin and skeletal muscles and allows spatial discrimination.

What is a somatosensory homunculus?

A map showing the amount of cortical tissue devoted to each sensory function of the body.

Where is the somatosensory association cortex located?

Posterior to the primary somatosensory cortex.

What is the function of the somatosensory association cortex?

It integrates sensory information to form a comprehensive understanding of the stimulus.

What does the somatosensory association cortex allow you to determine?

The size, texture, and relationship of parts of objects being felt.

How do somatosensory areas relate to past experiences?

They compare new sensations to stored memories for identification and recognition.

Where is the primary visual cortex located?

In the occipital lobe.

What is the function of the primary visual cortex?

It receives visual information from the retinas and performs basic visual processing such as detecting lines.

Where is the visual association area located?

Surrounding the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobe.

What is the function of the visual association area?

It interprets visual stimuli such as color, form, and movement.

Where is the primary auditory cortex located?

On the superior edge of the temporal lobe.

What is the function of the primary auditory cortex?

It interprets pitch, rhythm, and loudness of sounds.

Where is the auditory association area located?

Posterior to the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobe.

What is the function of the auditory association area?

It stores memories of sounds and allows perception of sound patterns such as music or speech.

What are the main association areas of the cerebral cortex?

Prefrontal cortex, language areas, general interpretation area, and visceral association area.

Where is the prefrontal cortex located?

In the anterior portion of the frontal lobe.

What is the function of the prefrontal cortex?

It is involved in intellect, cognition, recall, personality, planning, complex ideas, judgment, and emotional control.

How is the prefrontal cortex connected to the limbic system?

It is closely linked and influences emotion, motivation, and behavior.

What is the function of Wernicke’s area?

It is responsible for understanding and interpreting language and sounding out unfamiliar words.

What is the function of Broca’s area in language?

It controls speech preparation and production.

What lobes make up the general interpretation area?

Parts of the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, usually in the left hemisphere.

What is the function of the general interpretation area?

It integrates incoming signals into a single thought and helps process spatial relationships and sentence structure.

Where is the visceral association area located?

In the cortex of the insula.

What is the function of the visceral association area?

It allows conscious perception of visceral sensations and plays a role in habits.

What is an interesting finding about the insula related to habits?

Strokes (CVAs) affecting the insula can result in loss of addictive habits like smoking.

What is cerebral lateralization?

It refers to each hemisphere having abilities not completely shared with its partner.

What functions are associated with the left hemisphere?

Language, math, and logic.

What functions are associated with the right hemisphere?

Visual-spatial skills, emotion, and artistic abilities.