Discovery Complex Movement Cortex Changes Iconic 'Homunculus' Diagram

The renown ‘homunculus’ is one of neuroscience’s most fundamental diagrams, found in countless science texts. Depicting a constellation of body parts mapped onto a narrow strip of the brain, showing the corresponding brain regions that control each part. A study published in Nature on 19 April reveals that this brain strip, called the primary motor cortex, is infinitely more complex than previously thought. It may coordinate complex movements involving multiple muscles through connections to brain regions responsible for critical thinking, maintaining the body’s physiology and planning actions. The results could help us better understand and treat brain injuries.