Knowra Motor cortex Motor cortex The motor cortex is a set of cerebral cortical regions involved in planning, initiating, and executing voluntary movements. Its major areas include the primary motor cortex and premotor regions.
Primary motor cortex : The cortical region that sends commands contributing directly to voluntary movement, especially through projections to the spinal cord. It is the motor cortex’s principal output area for executing voluntary actions.
Cerebral cortex : The outer layers of the cerebral hemispheres, supporting perception, cognition, and voluntary action. Motor cortex is a functional set of regions within this outer brain layer.
Stroke : Brain injury caused by interrupted blood flow or bleeding within the brain. Damage to motor cortex or its pathways can produce weakness on the opposite side of the body.
Primary somatosensory cortex : The cortical region that receives and processes touch, proprioception, and related bodily sensations. It lies beside primary motor cortex but primarily processes incoming bodily information.
Premotor cortex : A frontal cortical region involved in selecting and preparing movements, especially those guided by external cues. It helps prepare actions before their commands reach primary motor cortex.
Upper motor neuron : A neuron in the brain or brainstem that influences lower motor neurons controlling muscles. Motor cortical output neurons are a major source of upper motor neuron signals.
Motor homunculus : A distorted body map depicting the relative cortical representation of body parts in primary motor cortex. It illustrates how cortical territory varies with the precision of body-part control.
Prefrontal cortex : Frontal cortical regions involved in planning, reasoning, working memory, and goal-directed behavior. It supports higher-level goals that can guide action without directly issuing motor commands.
Supplementary motor area : A medial frontal cortical region involved in planning and coordinating internally generated movements and sequences. It contributes to self-initiated actions and learned movement sequences.
Lower motor neuron : A neuron that directly activates skeletal muscle, with its cell body in the brainstem or spinal cord. Cortical commands ultimately influence movement through these muscle-activating neurons.
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