1-13 The Cerebral Cortex

1. Frontal lobe
Portion of the brain that extends from the central sulcus to the anterior limit of the brain. It includes the primary motor cortex and prefrontal cortex. The primary motor cortex (which includes the precentral gyrus) is specialized for the control of movements. The prefrontal cortex is involved in planning, decision-making, working memory (temporarily storing information), goal-oriented behaviors, and inhibition socially unacceptable behaviors.

2. Parietal lobe
Lies between the occipital lobe and the central sulcus; it includes the primary somsatosensory cortex, which is the primary target for touch sensations and information form muscle-stretch receptors and joint receptors. The parietal lobe is essential for processing spatial information (information about body and location) and it monitors all the information about the eye, head, and body positions to brain areas that control movement.

3. Temporal lobe
Lateral portion of each hemisphere; it is the primary cortical target for auditory information. In humans (in most cases), the left temporal lobe is essential for understanding spoken language. The temporal lobe also contributes to some of the more complex aspects of vision, including perception of movement and recognition of faces. The temporal lobes play a part in emotional and motivational behaviors (e.g. Kluver-Bucy syndrome) and memory (hippocampus).

4. Occipital lobe
Located in the posterior end of the cortex; is the main target for axons from the thalamic nuclei that receive visual input. The posterior pole of the occipital lobe is known as the primary visual cortex, striate cortex.

Part of the brain that consists of the cellular layers on the outer surface of the cerebral hemispheres; cells of the cerebral cortex are gray matter; their axons extending inward are white matter

Bundle of axons that connect the two cerebral hemispheres

Bundle of axons connecting the two cerebral hemispheres

Layers of cell bodies that are parallel to the surface of the cortex and separated from each other by layers of fibers

Cells of the cortex are organized in this manner—perpendicular to the laminae

Located at the posterior end of the cortex; involved in vision (see Objective a for more detailed info)

Lies between the occipital lobe and central sulcus (see Objective a for more detailed info)

One of the deepest grooves in the surface of the cortex; between the frontal lobe and parietal lobe

Also known as the primary somatosensory cortex; the primary target for touch sensations and information from muscle-stretch receptors and joint receptors

Lateral portion of each hemisphere, near the temples; involved in hearing, language, and emotional behaviors

Set of behaviors caused by temporal lobe damage; monkeys with KB syndrome fail to display normal fears and anxieties (e.g. picking up snakes and touching lighted matches)

Contains the primary motor cortex and prefrontal cortex

Most posterior portion of the frontal lobe just anterior to the central sulcus; specialized for the control of fine movements (e.g. moving one finger at a time)

Most anterior portion of the frontal lobe

Surgical disconnection of the prefrontal cortex from the rest of the brain; used to help people who suffered from severe, untreatable psychiatric disorders. Some of the consequences of prefrontal lobotomy were apathy, a loss of the ability to plan and take initiative, memory disorders, distractibility, lack of social inhibition, and loss of emotional expressions

Working memory task (measures the ability to remember recent stimuli and events); stimulus appears briefly, and after some delay, the individual must respond to the remembered stimulus; the prefrontal cortex is essential for this task

The question of how the visual, auditory, and other areas of your brain produce perception of a single object

Rapid activity in response to presented stimuli; activity ranges in frequency at various times from 30 to 80 action potentials per second.