Perception, Cognition, and Language

Abstract

It is well established by now that certain areas of the cerebral cortex serve as the primary recipients of sensory information, and that another area, the primary motor cortex, is synaptically close to the lower motor circuits. In other words, these areas differ from other parts of the cortex in that they are specialized for particular and rather immediate sensory or motor functions. You will also recall that within the primary sensory and motor areas there are subregions that are dedicated to a particular part of the receptive surface or a particular muscle. This areal specialization in the cerebral cortex is an example of a principle of cortical organization that is commonly referred to as the localization of function. It means simply that not all of the cortex participates equally in every brain function; certain areas appear to be specialized to contribute more than other areas to particular brain computations. It is also the case that the cortices of the two hemispheres are functionally asymmetrical; each side has its limitations and particular capabilities, and a number of cerebral functions are lateralized to a greater or lesser degree.