The cortical motor system.
The cortical motor system of primates is formed by a mosaic of anatomically and functionally distinct areas. These areas are not only involved in motor functions, but also play a role in functions formerly attributed to higher order associative cortical areas. In the present review, we discuss three types of higher functions carried out by the motor cortical areas: sensory-motor transformations, action understanding, and decision processing regarding action execution. We submit that generating internal representations of actions is central to cortical motor function. External contingencies and motivational factors determine then whether these action representations are transformed into actual actions.
Rizzolatti
G
G
Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Parma, Via Volturno 39, I43100 Parma, Italy. fisioum@symbolic.parma.it
Luppino
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D018737:Hand Strength; D000882:Haplorhini / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006613:Higher Nervous Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D019370:Observation; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology
D018755:GABA Agonists; D009118:Muscimol