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Other Motor Cortex Areas

  • Before it becomes fully active, the image descriptionprimary motor cortex receives input from other motor cortex areas. This information is needed to bring about coordinated, well-planned and purposeful movements.
An image showing lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere
An image showing the Primary motor cortex, lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere
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An image showing the Primary motor cortex, lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere
An image showing the Primary motor cortex, Premotor cortex, lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere
An image showing the Supplementary motor area, Primary motor cortex, Premotor cortex, lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere
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  • In general, the premotor area anticipates and plans movements based on external sensory cues, such as responses to events that are seen or heard.
  • The supplementary motor area, in contrast, selects and plans complex movements involving both sides of the body based on internal cues, such as thoughts or memory.
  • Most of the information generated by these areas is passed to the primary motor cortex for execution and the rest travels directly down the spinal cord to the skeletal muscles.
  • The image descriptionposterior parietal cortex (or Brodmann areas 5 and 7) also participates in the motor planning process.
An image showing the Supplementary motor area, Primary motor cortex, Premotor cortex, lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere
An image showing the Posterior parietal cortex, Supplementary motor area, Primary motor cortex, Premotor cortex, lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere
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  • It receives and integrates visual, auditory, and somatosensory (sense of body) inputs from other brain areas.
  • From these inputs, it produces information about the position of the body parts and external objects, which is used by the premotor and supplementary cortex areas to accurately plan actions.

Quickly and efficiently learn the parts of the brain using these interactive quizzes, diagrams and worksheets.

  • The following shows how the motor cortex areas produce an action:
  • (1) image descriptionLimb and paper location is sent to the motor cortex areas from the posterior parietal cortex.
An image showing the motor cortex areas highlighted and the pathway from the cortex to the effective organ
An image showing the first step of action production of the motor cortex area, info moves from the posterior parietal cortex to the motor areas
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An image showing the second step of action production of the motor cortex area, action planning in the supplementary and premotor areas
An image showing the third step of action production of the motor cortex area, action plan is relayed to the primary motor cortex
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Overview:

An image showing the Posterior parietal cortex, Supplementary motor area, Primary motor cortex, Premotor cortex, lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere, without labels below
An image showing the Posterior parietal cortex, Supplementary motor area, Primary motor cortex, Premotor cortex, lateral view of the right hemisphere and medial view of the left hemisphere
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