Somatosensory and Motor Cortex

Somatosensory Cortex

• Located at the front of the parietal lobes.
• Processes information about body sensations.

Motor Cortex

• Located at the rear of the frontal lobes.
• Processes information about voluntary movement.

Penfield's Research and Influence

• Penfield ($1947$) mapped the cortex during awake brain surgery (using local anesthetic) for epilepsy patients.
• Patients are kept awake during brain surgery to ensure crucial areas (e.g., consciousness, speech) are not damaged.
• Involved stimulating cortical areas to observe patient responses (felt sensations or body movements).
• Established a point-to-point relationship between specific body parts and locations on the cerebral cortex.
• Body parts capable of finer perceptions and movements, like the face and hands, receive proportionately more cortical representation.