FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF THE CEREBRAL CORTEX

1. FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF THE CEREBRAL
CORTEX
Mrs.MANJULA.S
ASST PROF, VISTAS

2.  The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of the brain
and is responsible for many higher cognitive functions.
The cerebral cortex is divided into several functional
areas, each associated with specific functions. Cerebral
cortex is responsible for the higher-level processes of
the human brain, including language, memory,
reasoning, thought, learning, decision-making,
emotion, intelligence and personality.
 The functional areas can be broadly categorized into
four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.

3. The lobes can be broadly categorized into four types: frontal, parietal,
temporal, and occipital.

4.  The cerebral cortex was originally classified by
Brodmann into 52 different areas, which are referred to
as Brodmann’s areas. Not all of these areas
anatomically correlate to function. Few of the
following are IMPORTANT:
 Motor cortex (Brodmann’s areas 4, 6 and 8)
 The primary somatosensory cortex corresponding to
Brodmann’s areas 3, 1 and 2
 Secondary sensory cortex (Brodmann’s areas 5 and 7)
 Visual cortex (Brodmann’s areas 17, 18 and 19)
 Auditory cortex (Brodmann’s areas 41 and 42)

6. Primary motor cortex is located in the precentral
gyrus of the frontal lobe (Brodmann’s area 4) and is
essential for the execution of voluntary movement. . It
contains anterior two-thirds of the paracentral lobule.
 Secondary motor cortex that consists of the four
regions:
◦ Supplementary motor cortex
◦ The premotor cortex
◦ The frontal eye field
◦ The posterior parietal motor area

7.  Rostrally to the inferior part of the primary motor cortex, motor speech
area (Broca area) is located. It is placed within the part of the inferior
frontal gyrus and is represented with Brodmann's area 44 and 45, and
with the most human brains, it is located within the left hemisphere.
Lesions of this area cause motor aphasia.
The premotor area (Brodmann’s area 6) strips rostrally to the primary
motor area on the lateral surface of the hemisphere. Part of this area is
located on the medial surface of the hemisphere, and that part is called
supplementary area. The premotor cortex is essential for planning of
the movements. It sends that information to the primary motor cortex,
which then starts the execution of the movement.
The frontal eye field is placed in the posterior part of the medial
frontal gyrus ( Brodmann’s area 8). It has a significant role in the
movements of the eye bulb.

8. The sensory cortex contains several very important areas:
 Primary somatosensory area
 Secondary somatosensory field
 Primary visual field
 Secondary visual field
 Primary acoustic field
 Primary olfactory fields
 Primary gustatory field
 Primary vestibular field
 Primary somatosensory area (Brodmann’s 3, 1, 2) is placed within the most
of the postcentral gyrus and last third of the paracentral lobule.
 The secondary somatosensory area is placed rostrally to the central sulcus,
along with its edge. The sensory fibers that
conduct nociceptive sensibility (pain) end here.

9. 
 Primary visual area (Brodmann’s area 17 and 16) is placed within the
medial aspect of the occipital lobe, and surrounds the calcarine fissure.
The neurons of the optical pathway end here.
 Secondary visual areas (Brodmann’s area 18 and 19) are responsible for
identification and understanding of the properties of the observed object.
 Primary acoustic area (Brodmann's area 41 and 42) is placed in the
superior side of the superior temporal gyrus, called as Heschl gyri.
 The primary olfactory area is placed within the piriform cortex that is
located between the insula and the temporal lobe. Also, the prepiriform
cortex is the part of the primary olfactory area, and it is found between
the lateral olfactory tract and the temporal cortex.
 The primary gustatory area is placed within the most inferior parts of the
postcentral gyrus and adjacent parts of the insula.
 The primary vestibular area is thought to be in superior temporal gyrus.

10.  One of the most important associative areas is found on
the mutual border of the parietal, occipital and temporal
lobe. This area contains the supramarginal
gyrus (Brodmann’s area 40),
the angular gyrus (Brodmann’s area 39) and the
posterior part of the superior temporal
gyrus (Brodmann’s area 22 - Wernicke field). This
cortical area is specifically important for the processes
of speech, reading, writing and visual orientation.

12.  On the inferior surface of the temporal lobe, specifically
within the lateral occipito temporal gyrus, is the area for
the face recognition. If a patient is suffering from a
lesion of this area, they are unable to recognize the faces.
 The prefrontal associative area extends through the
biggest portion of the frontal lobe (Brodmann’s areas 8,
9, 10, 11, 12, 45 and 46), and it takes up to 25% of the
entire cortical surface. This area is divided into lateral,
medial and ventral (orbito frontal) part. This entire area
is essential for cognitive thinking, judgment, motivation,
emotions, and planning of the behavior.