Idiotypic Cortex

Synonyms

Heterotypic cortex; Primary cortex

Definition

Idiotypic cortex are those areas of neocortex, which either receive direct projections from the specific sensory relay nuclei of the thalamus (primary sensory cortex) or represent the final common pathway for motor fibers (primary motor cortex) prior to their entering the corticobulbar and corticospinal tracts of the internal capsule.

Current Knowledge

Cytoarchitecturally, idiotypic cortex is characterized by a relative lack of differentiation among the cellular layers, especially between 2 and 5. As suggested above, based on their anatomical and functional connections, idiotypic cortices can be divided into two broad types, primary sensory and primary motor areas. The primary sensory areas include the following:

• 1. Primary visual cortex: Brodmann’s area (BA) 17 located on the mesial surface of the occipital lobe and surrounding the calcarine fissure on both its superior (cuneus) and inferior (lingual gyrus) banks

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