Motor maps and the cortical control of movement.
The brain's cortical maps serve as a macroscopic framework upon which additional levels of detail can be overlaid. Unlike sensory maps generated by measuring the brain's responses to incoming stimuli, motor maps are made by directly stimulating the brain itself. To understand the significance of motor maps and the functions they represent, it is necessary to consider the relationship between the natural operation of the motor system and the pattern of activity evoked in it by artificial stimulation. We review recent findings from the study of the cortical motor system and new insights into the control of movement based on its mapping within cortical space.
Department of Psychiatry and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC Canada V6T1Z3.
Thomas C
TC
Harrison
Department of Psychiatry and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC Canada V6T1Z3. Electronic address: thmurphy@mail.ubc.ca.
Timothy H
TH
Murphy
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D006801:Humans; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology