title: Motor and cognitive functions of the ventral premotor cortex.
abstract: Recent data show that the ventral premotor cortex in both humans and monkeys has motor and cognitive functions. The cognitive functions include space perception, action understanding and imitation. The data also show a clear functional homology between monkey area F5 and human area 44. Preliminary evidence suggests that the ventral part of the lateral premotor cortex in humans may correspond to monkey area F4. A tentative map of the human lateral premotor areas founded on the reviewed evidence is presented.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Parma, Via Volturno 39, I-43100 Parma, Italy. fisioum@symbolic.pr.it
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rizzolatti
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fogassi
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gallese
mesh_terms: D000717:Anatomy, Comparative; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D010828:Physiology, Comparative; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology