4th June 2023

Topographic representation in the cerebral cortex

The primary sensory and motor cortices of the brain can be mapped out to show the specific areas for which they are responsible. This is important in terms of localising neurological deficits to their corresponding region of the brain. The toes are represented in the upper area of the cerebral hemisphere, with the upper limb, hand, head, and neck regions represented more laterally; this depiction of the distorted body across the cerebral cortex, as seen in the image below, is known as the cortical homunculus.

Topographic representation of the primary sensory cortex

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (2013). 1421 Sensory Homunculus, Licensed under a creative commons licence. Available for free at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1421_Sensory_Homunculus.jpg (Accessed on: 11 January 2023).